New York Habitat Blog

Paris has no shortage of notable museums. From the masterpieces of the Louvre to the sculptures of the Rodin museum to the Erotic Museum fittingly placed in the city’s Pigalle district, the French capital has something for every museum goer. This is the type of city where a visitor could easily spend an entire trip within the walls of a curated space and still only see a fraction of the city’s vast collection of art, historical artifacts and various curiosities. Most travelers however, are content to have museums complement their visit, not be the driving force behind it. And some visitors to Paris are happy to just see the Louvre because, well, it’s the Louvre. All very well, but for visitors looking for a good Parisian museum beyond the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay (and there are dozens) New York Habitat always suggests the Musée du Quai Branly, a magnificent modern museum on the banks of the river Seine. Open since 2006, the Quai Branly is devoted to the indigenous art and culture from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, a real departure from the European-focused art found in most of the city.

Teotihuacan: City of Gods at the Museé du Quai Branly

The Quai Branly Museum has a wonderful permanent collection available year round but also features an eclectic offering of temporary exhibits that continue to draw visitors back for a second, third and forth visit. This fall and winter, the museum is hosting an exhibit entitled Teotihuacan: City of Gods focusing on artifacts and artwork from the mythic ancient Mexican culture and city of the same name. The museum will have some 450 items of Teotihuacan culture, many of which have been recently excavated. The exhibition offers a window onto the Mesoamerican world rarely seen in modern Western museums. Visitors to the museum are presented with the history of the city (100 BC-650 AD) and with extraordinary pieces that illuminate the political, social, economic, artistic and religious lives of a people lost to most history text books.

One day people might be rummaging through the remains of contemporary Paris and holding exhibitions in order to better understand life in the 21st century. Luckily for now the city is still here for us to enjoy (although it has gone through a lot in the last 100 years). New York Habitat has dozens of Paris apartments available this fall and winter in the heart of the living and breathing City of Light. Below are a few to get your search started:

• This one-bedroom apartment rental in Montmartre-Sacre Coeur (PA-684) is full of class and charm. The hardwood floors, built-in bookcases and ample light make this accommodation an ideal choice for couples or small families.
• This studio rental accommodation in Opera-Le Louvre (PA-3338) is as Old-World as they come. The building dates back to the 18th century, the studio is sandwiched between hardwood on the floors and exposed wood beams on the ceiling, and the apartment is outfitted with a tasteful mélange of antique and modern furnishings.
• This 2-bedroom rental apartment in Invalids, Auteul-Tour Eiffel (PA-1087) is a short stroll of the Quai Branly museum, Eiffel Tower and dozens of other Paris landmarks. The accommodation also has beautiful rooftop views.

Share your thoughts about the Teotihuacan exhibit at the Museé du Quai Branly below.

The 1st half 2009 London Vacation Rental Market Report contains all of the most up-to date information about the London Vacation Rental Accommodation market. With 2009 being a difficult year for the travel industry the findings in this report include the details necessary to make informed decisions in the London real estate market.

London Vacation Rental Report 1st half 2009

This report contains information about the 1st half of 2009 and for comparison purposes it has data from the 1st half of 2007 and 2008 as well. Some of the key figures contained in the report include:

• Percent of rentals by neighborhood
• Range of prices by apartment type
• Percent of apartments rented by type
• Average, median and mode apartment prices
• And more

Some of the main conclusions in the report include:

• Despite a weak economy which has hurt the travel industry, New York Habitat’s business in the London Vacation Rental market has remained strong and continued to grow.
• Large rentals (2-bedrooms and larger) remain  popular products in London
• London has regaining popularity with American tourists as the British Pound fells compared to the U.S. Dollar.

New York Habitat looks forward to continuing their success in the London Vacation Rental Market. Major factors that will continue to influence the London vacation rental market are pound conversion rates and the world economy.

New York Habitat has created the London Furnished Apartment Rental Market Reports section on our website, where this and future reports will be available.  The next London Vacation Rental Market Report will be published in the winter of 2010 and contain details about the 2nd half of 2009.

Please let us know below what you think of this report and if you have any suggestions for future London Vacation Renal Market Reports.  You can also e-mail the London Market Report team at marketreport@nyhabitat.com

Imagine sampling delectable dishes from more than 40 of New York’s best restaurants — all in one night, all under one roof.  New York Taste, a culinary event held for charity, turns this foodie dream into a reality. 

On Monday, November 2nd, some of New York’s most celebrated chefs and mixologists will come together to serve up their signature dishes, all to benefit City Harvest. Held at the Skylight Lounge in SoHo, guests will be able to sample mouthwatering fare from an impressive lineup of participating restaurants, including Corton, Craft, Le Cirque, Morimoto, Bar Boulud and many more.

Hosted by New York magazine culinary editor, Gillian Duffy, a portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to the hunger-fighting organization. General admission tickets are available for $175 and VIP tickets for $250 at http://www.nymag.com/taste.

New York Taste

The two-hour event runs from 7:00-9:00 p.m., but a VIP ticket will grant you an extra hour to graze and chat with the chefs, starting at 6:00 p.m., as well as a VIP gift bag. Crowds gather quickly so get there early! Last year’s event drew more than 1,000 guests.

New York Habitat has gorgeous apartments conveniently located near the New York Taste event to help you be the first to nab those savory morsels, including:

- This spotless Alcove Studio Vacation Rental in Greenwich Village - Soho - New York (NY-12564) in the heart of the Village. Enjoy easy access to an array of restaurants, bars and shops.

- This tastefully furnished 2-Bedroom Vacation Rental in Noho - East Village - Lower East Side (NY-12499). The loft space includes high ceilings and a skylight.
Have you ever been to one of the New York Taste events? Do you have a favorite celebrity chef? Share your comments with us!

With Halloween near, there’s plenty to do in London for those seeking chills and thrills. From historical sights to hysterical amusement-style attractions, this ancient city, believed to be heavily haunted, has no shortage of scares. You’ll be glad that you rented a nearby New York Habitat vacation accommodation to make the walk home that much shorter.  

The London Bridge Experience, one of the most popular tourist destinations all year long, becomes especially creepy around Halloween, as medieval characters walk you through London’s dark past. (For the brave, a dual ticket can be purchased for that and the London Tombs, the former burial site for plague victims.)

London Accommodation: Studio in City -Islington (LN_446)

The nearby Tower of London, known for its ravens, is the site of past beheadings and torture, as well as the Bloody Tower, called so for the two princes who were murdered there by their uncle. Take a tour, if you dare.

The London Dungeon is a hit with tourists, combining gory gallows humor with special effects, live actors, instruments of torture, and amusement park-style rides. Don’t miss the basement—or the zombies who await you there.

The London Ghost Festival, run by London Paranormal, takes places from Oct. 23-31. One of its stops is the old Operating Theatre (as scary as the name sounds), where you’ll be searching for the White Lady, the hospital’s much-seen resident ghost.

Chills in the Chapel takes place at Union Chapel, a fittingly spooky backdrop for such appropriate film classics as “An American Werewolf in London.” (Tickets are free, but donations go toward the chapel’s restoration.)

For a nice stroll—or shamble—around town, there’s the London Zombie Walk on Oct. 31, starting and ending at pubs, and hitting a few in between (think “Shaun of the Dead”). Dress as the undead and join along on the search for brains (or really good fish and chips).

On top of all of that, there are the perennial favorites: the unnerving Jack the Ripper Walk, a tour of Fleet Street to see the haunts of the “Demon Barber” Sweeney Todd, and the Ghost Bus, a double-decker painted midnight black and giving tours that are part-sightseeing/part-ghost story.

For a safe place to spend the night, consider these New York Habitat rental accommodations: 

• A spacious studio in Bermondsey, Southwark (LN-689) on Tower Bridge Road. This contemporary flat comes fully equipped with a separate living room, laundry/dryer, a double bed, guest parking, track lighting and plenty of sunlight to keep vampires away.

• A contemporary studio in City-Islington (LN-128) just off Fleet Street, close to many sites and attractions, as well as one infamous barbershop! This flat is on the fifth floor of a modern elevator building and comes with a double bed, laundry/dryer, flat-screen TV, power shower, and a 24-hour doorman, which should make you feel that much safer.

• A stylish studio in City-Islington (LN-446), just off Tower Bridge Road. This newly converted flat is in the site of the former Sarson’s Brewery warehouse (so any “spirits” may have really liked the other kind of spirits), and has maintained such original features as wooden floors and exposed brick. It also comes with double bed, laundry/dryer, guest parking, power shower, and large windows with nice views, as well as great glass walkways and lifts within the building.

For some real Halloween haunts, head to London—and a New York Habitat vacation rental. Just be sure to lock the door behind you…

Leave a comment below to tell us which Halloween event would be the most likely to scare the living daylights out of you.

Paris is a photographer’s delight. For every cliché snapshot of the Eiffel Tower there is a stolen image of another corner of this photogenic city. And for every realist picture of a lover’s embrace on a Parisian quay there are moments and angles of abstraction found in the French Capital. It is truly difficult to catch this city on a bad day. It is always posing with a seductive grin, waiting to again be immortalized by both amateur and professional alike. No matter how many photos of Paris we see, the city continues to beckon us from afar. And anyone who has been lucky enough to gaze onto the beauty of the City of Light knows that a picture doesn’t lie.

Paris Photo

Not only does Paris photograph particularly well, but Parisians have a true love affair with the art of photography. The city produced the street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, a father of modern photojournalism and a man who produced much of Paris’ iconic imagery. Paris also was the home of Robert Doisneau whose photograph Le Baiser de l’Hotel de Ville has been immortalized countless times on posters and magazine pages the world over. Perhaps a reason for the prominence of French photographers has been the way in which photography is treated. Parisians take photography seriously as a visual art and there are dozens of galleries around the city that cater solely to the work of camera and subject. The Paris Photo event, held every year since 1997 is a celebration of the city’s love of artistic photography. The 2009 event will highlight the Arab and Iranian photography scene yet will represent the work of 500 international photographers. The Paris Photo event will take place from November 19-22 in 2009 at the Carrousel du Louvre.       

New York Habitat still has plenty of picture-perfect apartments available during the Paris Photo event. A few accommodations are listed below to help get your search started:

-This funky 1-bedroom rental apartment in Marais-Les Halles (PA-336) has a wonderful right-bank location and cool, bohemian stylings.

-This 1-bedroom rental accommodation in Montmartre-Sacre Coeur (PA-684) features a modern, clean design with some classic French touches.

-This 2-bedroom apartment in Trocadero, Auteuil-Tour Eiffel (PA-1087) can accommodate up to five guests in the heart of Haussman ian Parisian architecture.

What is your favourite image of Paris? Why do you think that the French seem to value photography as an artistic medium more than North Americans? Please Comment Below.

One part cinema, one part concert venue, one part chic restaurant and lounge, the Cinéaqua aquarium in Paris offers more than beautiful marine life. Dubbed an aqua-entertainment complex, the Cinéaqua has something for everyone, from fish lovers to film buffs.

Located beneath the Trocadero Gardens as an underground extension of the Palais Chaillot, the Cinéaqua is home to more than 10,000 fish from around the world. The aquarium features more than 40 different tanks with sea creatures from eleven different ecological zones. The largest of the tanks — the largest tank in France, in fact — has more than 3 million liters of water and more than 25 sharks. Visitors can sit in the viewing area in front of the massive tank and watch the sharks glide by, complete with a soothing soundtrack.

For those looking for more traditional entertainment, there are screens throughout the aquarium running animated cartoons, movie trailers and shorts. The aquarium’s three cinemas show aquatic documentaries and full-length feature films daily. At night, the aquarium hosts musicians in the Aqualounge, where illuminated tanks serve as a backdrop for artists like Jennifer Lopez, Maroon 5 and Paulo Nutini. 

Paris Accommodation: 2-bedroom Trocadero (PA-1087)

There are also plenty of activities and exhibits for children. One highlight is the “petting basin,” where kids are welcome to roll-up their sleeves and touch carp, sturgeon and other colorful fish. After a full day of aquatic entertainment, you can indulge in some delicious sushi and Japanese cuisine at Ozu, the in-house restaurant.

Located in the 16th arrondissement, the Cinéaqua is a great place to take the kids or a date, especially on a chilly fall day. New York Habitat has dozens of apartments nearby in the exclusive neighborhood of Trocadero, making a visit to the aquarium even more convenient. Check out:

- This comfortable and well-furnished 2-Bedroom Vacation Rental in Trocadero, Auteuil - Tour Eiffel (PA-1087), situated between Place Chopin and Boulevard Franklin on a calm residential street. The apartment offers great views and spacious sleeping for up to three couples.

- This elegant 1-Bedroom Vacation Rental in Passy - Auteuil - Tour Eiffel (PA-3767), located near the Eiffel Tower, the splendid Champs de Mars and the Palais de Chaillot.

Have you ever been to the Cinéaqua in Paris? Please share your comments with us!

With the sudden surge of beer gardens cropping up around the city and the recent success of the 2nd annual New York Craft Beer Week, beer mania has officially taken over the Big Apple. There’s bacon-flavored beer, beer pairings and even a 1,000-seat beer hall opening this fall. For hop lovers interested in sampling top-notch local beer, look no further than the Brooklyn Brewery, creator of the famous Brooklyn Lager.

Now celebrating its 21st year, the Brooklyn Brewery was founded by former Associated Press correspondent Steve Hindy – who learned to brew beer while working in the dry Middle East – and his business partner Tom Porter. Tapping into Brooklyn’s rich brewing past – the borough was home to 48 breweries at the turn of the 20th century – the Brooklyn Brewery is now one of America’s top 40 breweries.

Brooklyn Brewery Logo

Located in a former matzo ball factory in the hipster neighborhood of Williamsburg, the Brooklyn Brewery is open to the public from noon – 6:00 p.m. on weekends, offering free brewery tours every hour on the hour from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.  While the “tour” isn’t so much a tour as a history lesson that takes place in the industrial brewhouse, amid enormous vats of Brooklyn Brown Ale, it is interesting nonetheless. (One fun fact: the Brooklyn Brewery’s logo was designed by Milton Glaser, the man behind the famous “I love New York” logo.)

The brewery also hosts a Friday night Happy Hour from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. In addition to standards like the Brooklyn Lager, visitors can also sample some of the brewery’s tasty seasonal microbrews, like the Oktoberfest Beer or Pumpkin Ale, for $4 a piece or 6 for $20, in the beer-drenched tasting room. For information on how to get to the brewery, visit the Brooklyn Brewery’s website.

If you want to join in New York’s beer mania, plan a trip to the Brooklyn Brewery this fall. New York Habitat has the perfect vacation rental for you. Choose from incredible Brooklyn and Manhattan apartments, including:

- This cozy 1-Bedroom Apartment in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (NY-12778), located in a charming pre-war walk-up building. Enjoy the apartment’s exposed brick and colorful rooms.

- This bright and spacious 2-Bedroom Vacation Rental in Noho - East Village - Lower East Side (NY-12499). The apartment is tastefully furnished and very large by New York standards. Enjoy the 12-foot-high ceilings, skylight and views of Manhattan’s rooftops and bridges.

- This stunning 3-Bedroom Vacation Rental in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (NY-12841), located on the upper three floors of a four-story townhouse. Enjoy the triplex’s terrace and garden.

Have you ever been to the Brooklyn Brewery? Do you have a favorite Brooklyn beer? Share your comments with us!