New York Habitat Blog

We’re back with another New York video tour for you.  In this video I am going to show you another fabulous neighborhood of New York, known as Harlem.

Get the Flash Player to see this player. Click above to watch this video: Video Tour of Central and West Harlem. (4:53)

Harlem is a large, historical area in northern Manhattan.  It’s a major African American residential, cultural and business center. It stretches from the East River west to the Hudson River between 155th Street to the north and 110th Street to the south, which is the northern boundary of Central Park.

Harlem is so large, in fact, that it would be impossible to cover in just one video.  So instead, we’ll be doing separate videos on Harlem’s various districts.

The districts of Harlem are West Harlem, Morningside Heights, Central Harlem, East Harlem and Hamilton Heights. 

Our first stop in our Harlem series will be Central & West Harlem!

History:

Harlem was originally a Dutch village founded around 1658.  It was named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands. In the early 20th century many African Americans moved to this area and in the 1920s and 30s many famous artists, musicians and businessmen became well known in Harlem and took Black culture to a higher level, in a movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.

Marcus Garvy Park

Mount Morris Park a.k.a Marcus Garvey Park

Central Harlem revolves around Mount Morris Park, which was opened to the public in 1840 with the name Mount Morris Park.  In 1973, the park was renamed Marcus Garvey Park in honor of Jamaican born black activist, journalist and community leader, Marcus Garvey.

During the summer of 1969 the park held a series of concerts to celebrate African American music and culture and to promote black pride.  Many famous musicians, including Nina Simone, B.B. King, Sly & the Family Stone, Max Roach, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder participated to the event, which was also called “Black Woodstock”

Today, Marcus Garvey Park has two playgrounds for children, several fountains, an amphitheater, a swimming pool and an indoor space for yoga, kickboxing, karate and computer classes. 

All around the park you can observe beautiful historical houses which show the affluence in the area during the late 1800s and early 1900s when these townhouses were built.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture - 515 Malcolm X Boulevard

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, located at the corner of Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue) and 135th Street.  The Schomburg Center is a national research library that collects, preserves and provides documentation and media on the culture and history of the people of African descent in the world.  Here you’ll find art, rare books, photographs, films and music of African culture and history.

Read the entire story here… »

Columbus Circle marks the southwest corner of Central Park and includes a monument to Christopher Columbus, shopping, museums and a gateway to Central Park. Today, we are going to explore some of the top activates and sites around Columbus Circle.

Traveling to Columbus Circle is easy; it is served by the 1, A, B, C and D subways. When rising out of the subway tunnels the 1st thing that you will notice is the statue in the center of the traffic circle. The monument, which was built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage to the Americas, was designed and created by Italian sculptor Gaetano Russo. Atop the monument stands Christopher Columbus. In addition to being a sight to be seen, Columbus Circle marks the point where all distances are measured to in New York City.

2 Columbus Circle: Museum of Arts and Design

Columbus Circle has plenty of other activates too:

• 1st you’ll want to check out the Time Warner center which is along the western side of the circle. The towers were completed in 2003 and are 55 stories tall. The Time Warner Center has three floors of shops on the lower levels including Borders Books, Whole Foods Market and many specialty retailers. In addition the 4th floor has some of Manhattan’s top rated restaurants (be prepared to spend a pretty penny to visit them).
• To the north is the one of Donald Trump’s famous New York City Skyscrapers
• If you are ready for some New York City realization head to the northeast where you will find the Merchant’s Gate entrance to Central Park. Take a stroll through the park to reenergize before your next stop on your New York tour.
• Lastly to the south you will find 2 Columbus Circle known as the lollipop building, which has been through a rocky history. The building, which for many years was considered as an architectural eyesore by some and an architectural gem by others, has been transformed into the Museum of Arts & Design with a new design that is often criticized as much as the old design. The museum has more than 54,000 square feet of exhibition space for its extensive collection. 

If you are interesting in checking out Columbus Circle it’s a great idea to choose a nearby vacation rental. Some gems in the neighborhood include:

A 1 bedroom Upper West Side apartment (ny-14209) located just 4 blocks north of Columbus Circle on the 42nd story of a high-rise building.

A 1 bedroom vacation rental apartment in Midtown West (ny-11454) just 3 blocks south of Columbus Circle in a doorman building.

Let us know your favorite activities,  shops and cafes around Columbus Circle in the comments section below.

The Titanic was en route to New York when it met its tragic fate almost a century ago. Today, the “Unsinkable” ship has made it to its final port of call. The Discovery Times Square Exposition, one of New York’s newest museum spaces, is now featuring the fascinating “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition”.

The sprawling exhibit recreates the entire Titanic experience, from the ship’s construction to life onboard, and ultimately to the iceberg that sunk it. More than 350 artifacts from the shipwreck – 40 of them never before seen — are on display, including jewelry, china, clothing and personal letters. Visitors can walk through reconstructed first- and third-class cabins as well as see a replica of the Grand Staircase.

The exhibit succeeds in making the experience interactive and engaging. Visitors are given a “boarding pass” upon entry that includes factual information about one of the Titanic’s 2,228 passengers. At the end, it is revealed whether “your” passenger made it onto one of the lifeboats.

Titanic

The Discovery Times Square Exposition is a whopping 60,000 square-feet, so winding your way through the exhibit can take upwards of two hours. And of course, there is a gift shop to hit afterwards. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Discovery Times Square’s website.

Want to stay near the hustle and bustle of Times Square? New York Habitat has dozens of conveniently located apartments within walking distance of the Titanic exhibit, including:

- This affordable Studio Vacation Rental in Midtown West - Chelsea - New York (NY-11802), located in the heart of the Theater District and only blocks from Times Square. The apartment has two beds. A great deal!

- This luxe 2-Bedroom Vacation Rental in Midtown West - Chelsea - New York (NY-12496), featuring a gym, rooftop access and unlimited Starbucks’ coffee. The apartment is in a high-rise building with full-time doorman and a 24-hour attended front desk.

Have you ever been to the “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition”? Are you a Titanic buff? Please share your comments with us!

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 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!

Each summer, images flash across our television screens of international cyclists dashing across one of Europe’s most scenic countries, France. We watch as the lean riders pass by villages still bearing World War II scars in Normandy and over bridges in Ardeche that were built by the Roman Empire. We gaze at the cyclists as they climb up and down the Pyrenees and up and over the Alps, but really we are looking out past them, imagining ourselves in the idyllic landscapes of modern France. More and more travellers are forgoing the dirtied windows of the tour bus and are renting bicycles to explore places and people at their own, more intimate pace. Visitors to New York are doing just that as those in the travel industry have seen a noticeable shift in the way in which voyagers move from one place to the next. In addition to being an active and free way to enjoy a city, bikes allow visitors to step off of the beaten path and to explore areas of a city that they normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to. And the Bronx is one of those places.

New York apartment: 2-bedroom in Midtown-East (NY-14340)

Much like the rest of New York City the Bronx is enjoying a long resurgence. The crime and neglect that still defines the borough for many out-of-towners has been largely contained and eliminated. Neighborhoods that were once abandoned are now feeling the full force of gentrification. Even the infamous South Bronx is being populated by Manhattanites in search of cheaper rent. Today’s Bronx is a culturally vibrant and architecturally-rich community of working class New Yorkers, which is a great place for travellers to discover on the seat of a bike. For visitors not familiar with the Bronx it’s better to ride with a group. On October 18th, the Tour de Bronx bike event will be held for the 15th consecutive year. The ride features normally inaccessible thoroughfares closed to vehicular traffic, as the mapped-out ride takes cyclists past historic districts, numerous parklands and the Bronx shoreline. There is both a 25-mile route and a 40-mile route for more-experienced cyclists. Police escorts, safety staff and volunteers will all be on hand to make sure that the event goes smoothly. The Tour de Bronx is a wonderful way to visit a borough that normally sits off of traveller’s radar but is worth a visit.

Below are a few New York Habitat accommodations to get your apartment search started:

• This 2-bedroom rental apartment in Hamilton Heights, Uptown (NY-12770) offers hardwood floors, exposed brick walls and comfortable, modern furnishings.
• This 1-bedroom rental accommodation in Harlem, Uptown (NY-14323) also offers hardwood floors and exposed brick. The apartment also features a fireplace and an ideal Harlem location.
• This 2-bedroom rental apartment in Midtown East (NY-14340) features a fully renovated space with a designer’s touch.

What we look for in a good travel experience doesn’t change much. We set out with our entire families or just a pack on our backs in search of interesting people and places, new ways to experience the world and food, traditions and ways of living that challenge our preconceived notions. The ways in which we travel, however, is always changing; we’ve moved from word-of-mouth travel advice to the word of a trusted print travel guide to the opinions of other jet-setters on internet discussion boards. Voyages that once took months of preparation and weeks of hard travel now take a credit card and a short flight. With all of the changes in travel it is all the more important to stay on the cutting edge in order to find the next unforgettable travel experience. The Adventures in Travel Expo taking place this October in New York City’s Jacob Javitz Center tackles the evolving travel industry with the verve of an 18th-century explorer. New York Habitat apartments are available during the expo so travellers can have a comfortable place to lay their heads while they dream about that next international jaunt.

New York Accommodation: 3-bedroom rental in Midtown West (NY-10971)

The two-day travel expo has something for every traveller out there. Not just an event for those working within the industry, the expo features informative seminars, hundreds of tour operators and experts, hands-on adventure activities and authentic cultural performances. Featured speakers include Arthur Frommer, renowned travel guide creator, Patricia Schultz, author of 1,00 Places to Visit Before you Die, Tony Wheeler, the founder and CEO of Lonely Planet, and Holly Morris, the host of Globe Trekker. Vendors, travel associations and tour operators from every corner of the world will be on hand to answer questions and entice the curious while presentations by writers and filmmakers from National Geographic Adventure will have guests in awe. A highlight of the expo is the interactive adventure activities. Guests will have the opportunity to climb a rock wall, learn to scuba dive in a heated pool and participate in an indoor ropes course.

New York Habitat apartments are still available during the weekend of October 10-11, below are a few to get your search started:

-This studio rental apartment in Upper West Side (NY-12072) features a cozy interior space and a lovely balcony with space for dinner for two. 

-This 2-bedroom rental accommodation in East Village-Lower East Side (NY-7311) is an ideal choice for jet-setting families. The apartment features a spacious backyard (In Manhattan!) and a bedroom decorated with a child’s interests in mind.

-This 3-bedroom rental apartment in Midtown West-Chelsea (NY-10971) offers some rare architectural charms and is located in one of Manhattan’s great neighbourhoods.

Let us know what your dream vacation is below. Is it an adventure cruise on the Amazon, a hiking trip in New Zealand or a weekend in a New York High Rise? Whatever it is, let us know below.