New York Habitat Blog

A cultural extravaganza, this year marks the 33rd annual celebration of Harlem Week. Taking place throughout the month of August, the event features a plethora of performances, vendors, and tributes, all highlighting the different manners in which this unique neighborhood has influenced New York City and the world.

Harlem Week began as Harlem Day, in 1974, in and effort to restore the educational, cultural, political, and religious leadership of the community. Since the first celebration, Harlem Day has grown substantially to include more than a month of events.

This year the activities range from film viewings in the park to an Upper Manhattan Auto Show. Participants can benefit from month-long discounts at the bowling alley or go club hopping as part of Uptown Saturday Nights.

For a full list of events, a history of Harlem Week, and more, check out: http://www.harlemweek.harlemdiscover.com/

New York Habitat has many apartments currently available in and around Harlem:

• This comfortable studio apartment (NY-6214) and this two-bedroom apartment (NY-6213) are located in the same Harlem Brownstone. The apartments sleep up to three and four people, respectively.
• If traveling with a family, this three-floor townhouse (NY-11557) may be just the right accommodation for you. The townhouse has four bedrooms and can sleep up to six people.
  Harlem Week has helped the community to restore the cultural and economic influence that the area once had on New York. Real estate continues to flourish as more and more businesses and people make Harlem their home.

So, rent an apartment! Join “Harlemites” and the greater population of New York as they celebrate the rich history and heritage of a historic neighborhood.

For further reading on Harlem, check out our blog:

• New York In Song - “Uptown – The New Harlem”
• Harlem Bed and Breakfasts
• Harlem apartment rentals near the Renaissance Theater

Are you one of the millions of people who has attended Harlem Week in the past? Tell us all about it below.

Neighborhoods in New York are constantly changing. What was once hip becomes taboo and what was once passé becomes the place to be. So it is with the Harlem neighborhood of Hamilton Heights. New York Habitat has a two-bedroom duplex accommodation in the heart of this thriving neighborhood.

Handsomely Decorated, Two-Bedroom Duplex Townhouse:

The apartment, owned by an architect, is impeccably designed and fills up two floors of a gorgeous townhouse. The owner also keeps a cat in the apartment, which a past renter of the accommodation has called “sweet and very friendly.” Therefore, if you enjoy cats, beautiful architecture, and stylish décor, then perhaps this Two-Bedroom Accommodation in Harlem (NY-12274) is for you.

One appealing aspect of this apartment, besides the duplex townhouse and the intriguing décor, is the unbelievable price. Crain’s New York Business reports that on average the prices of New York hotel rooms have risen since last year. The average hotel rate for the year up until now is listed at about $248 per night. New York Habitat, at the time of this article, is offering this fully furnished two-bedroom rental with Jacuzzi for $135 per day and $675 per week.

Travel into other areas of Manhattan (like Times Square and Rockefeller Center) is incredibly convenient. The townhouse is a brief walk to the 1, A, B, C, and D trains. The A and D trains travel express and reach 59th Street in midtown Manhattan in only two stops.

Hamilton Heights, Harlem:

The rental, as stated above, is on the second and third floors of a Harlem townhouse. According to the Hamilton Heights – West Harlem Community Preservation Organization, the pride and joy of the neighborhood are the gorgeous array of townhouses designed in various styles such as Dutch, Beaux Arts, Queen Anne, and Romanesque Revival.

Due to the hard work of community preservationists and the beauty of these houses, large portions of the neighborhood have become landmark areas. These areas have since been renamed the Hamilton Heights Historic District Extension and the Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill Historic District.

While this townhouse is not located in the heart of Times Square, it is close to an array of museums, restaurants, and theaters that have become staples of Harlem life. Such locations are the world famous Apollo Theater and historic night spot, The Cotton Club. It is due to the rich culture and history of the area that the Community Preservation Organization has called it “a neighborhood like no other.”

What makes this two-bedroom a Hidden Gem?

This two-bedroom apartment is split between two floors of a historic Harlem townhouse. The cat is charming, the décor is interesting, and the neighborhood is a thriving cultural center. Also, how many New York apartments can you find that have a Jacuzzi at this price? These numerous attributes all add up to make this two-bedroom a Hidden Gem.

For more information on Harlem, check out some of our other blog posts: Harlem apartment rentals near the Renaissance Theater and New York In Song - “Uptown – The New Harlem.”

Feel free to share comments about Hamilton Heights, upcoming city events, or neighborhoods that you feel deserve notice below.

Once again we have had a good response to the Guess the Price contest and this week we are proud to declare Johnny the winner. The correct price of this luxury Harlem townhouse accommodation is $12,500 per month. Johnny receives 10% off the fees for a vacation rental of 30 days or less.

This four-bedroom townhouse in Harlem is now online with a full description and pictures of the entire apartment. Here are more details:

The townhouse:

This is one of those unique properties in New York where you don’t have to share the building with anyone else. The townhouse consists of four complete floors of living space which have been restored to their 19th century look and feel with added modern conveniences.

Traveling through the rooms you can see the restored wood trim, fireplaces and original door. Using the bathrooms and kitchen reminds you that none of the modern conveniences have been forgotten with the renovations.

Finally, the back of the apartment features a deck with a large dining table, a shade tree and a BBQ grill.

This Harlem neighborhood and transportation:

Many love this part of Harlem because of the way that the buildings have been saved and restored, giving the streets a real community feeling. This block is located in the West 120s, making in a short walk to Columbia University, City College, Morningside Park, Central Park and the 125th Street shopping corridor. The subway access at 125th Street makes trips to Midtown a snap with one-stop service on the A,D trains to 59th Street Columbus Circle.

For more neighborhood features and attractions take a look at: Guess the Price results: Harlem 5 bedroom apartment

Continue checking back for more Guess the Price contests about our accommodations in Paris, London, New York and the South of France.

To see the original clues: Guess the Price: Harlem Townhouse Accommodation

Again, congratulations to Johnny, the winner of this installment of our Guess the Price contest.

Looking for a unique offering in a sea of studios and one-bedroom apartments? Consider this four-bedroom townhouse located on a tree-lined block of restored brownstones in west Harlem. For the third installment of our Guess the Price feature, we take a deeper look at a newly listed accommodation that has been meticulously restored to include its former 19th century charm.

We ask anyone who is interested to guess the price in the comments section of this blog entry. The person who guesses the correct price will be offered 10% off the agency fee of a Vacation Rental (30 day or less rental).

This Harlem Townhouse:

This apartment is four full floors and includes a large back deck and original and restored details. The lower floor of the building has a modern eat-in kitchen and a large dining room. The second floor has a living room with piano as well as an office. The third floor has the master bedroom as well as a library study and the master bathroom. The top floor has two more bedrooms and another bathroom.

Overall the apartment is 3,600 square feet of livable space. There are two washer and dryers, plasma TVs in several rooms and working fireplaces. This is perfect for a family looking for a high-end place with more privacy than a traditional Manhattan option would offer.

Our inventory contains many apartments but few offer the exact features of this accommodation. Here are a few which give a representation of high-end, multi-bedroom apartments in Manhattan:

• A Three-Bedroom Rental on Central Park South (NY-3371) for $8,000 per month
• A Three-Bedroom Rental in the East Village (NY-5256) for $6,000 per month
• A Two-Bedroom Rental in Midtown West (NY-12098) for $8,000 per month

You can use these sample apartments plus your own appraisal skills to help guess the price of this townhouse.

For more info on the neighborhood, check out the following blog entries:

• Harlem Bed and Breakfasts
• New York In Song - “Uptown – The New Harlem”
• Harlem apartment rentals near the Renaissance Theater

Don’t take too long to think about the price, as you only have 24 hours to post your guess. Tomorrow at about 5 p.m. we will post the result to this contest and reward a 10% discount off a vacation rental to the person who makes the guess closest to the price.

This week’s answer is a monthly price. Continue to check back for more Guess the Price contests in the future to help hone your Price Guessing skills.

Rules:
10% discount on agency fees is only good for vacation rentals (30 days or less rental)
Only one guess per e-mail address
Discount is good for 30 days after you are notified that you are the winner
The winner must provide a valid e-mail address
In the event of a tie, the first person to guess the price closest to the correct price will be declared the winner.

—————————————————————-

This contest is now closed.

You can view the result and the winner here: Guess the Price Results: Harlem Townhouse Accommodation
To see the apartment visit the four-bedroom townhouse in Harlem

Well, thanks to everyone who made a guess in the first guess the apartment’s price contest. Our first winner is Emmanuel who correctly guessed $3800 per month and is entitled to the 10% discount off of a vacation rental.

This 5 bedroom apartment Uptown (NY-12302) is now online and if you would like to reserve this apartment give us a call at (212) 255-8018 or complete a request form.

Here are more details on the apartment and neighborhood:

The apartment:

As noted before this apartment is in a historic brownstone building in Harlem. The apartment has been nicely restored including refurbishment of the original wood floors, decorative fireplaces and wainscotings in the bathroom.

Neighborhood:

The neighborhood features some of the cities top rated restaurants featured in the Zagat guide including Charles’ Southern-Style Kitchen on Lenox Avenue between 125th and 126th Streets, Revival a French restaurant on Frederick Douglass Blvd. at 127th Street and Pier 2110 a seafood restaurant on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd between 125th and 126th Streets.

The neighborhood has many new restaurants opening along the main avenues as the neighborhood’s renaissance continues.

Attractions:

Harlem is best known for the Apollo Theater where many famous musicians have preformed throughout the past century but also has many other attractions, which are often overlooked. Some of the favorites include Mount Morris Park, which is located between 120th and 124th Street at Fifth Avenue and is surrounded by beautiful brownstones, which have been featured in various Hollywood productions.

Also popular in the area is the Museum of the City of New York (El Barrio) located at East 103rd Street and Fifth Avenue. Finally, you can find an authentic jazz club at Showman’s Bar on 125th Street between Morningside and St. Nicholas Avenues.

Transportation:

The apartment features an easy commute to the east or west side with access to the 2,3 trains at Lenox Avenue and 125th Street or for West Side Service and the 4,5,6 trains are available at 125th Street and Lexington Avenue for East Side service. For those traveling cross-town there are four bus routes that transverse 125th Street including the M60 bus, which travels from Columbia to La Guardia Airport.

For those looking to get out of dodge the metro north commuter rail has a station at 125th Street and Park Avenue offering service to Westchester, Stanford, CT, New Haven, CT, Newberg and Poughkeepsie with connections available to Albany, Boston, MA and Providence, RI.

Check in next week for the second installment of Guess the Price. Once again we will be offering a discount on agency fees to the winner of the contest. Next week prepare to guess the price of an accommodation in Paris, London or the South of France.

To see the original clues for this apartment Guess the Price: Harlem 5 bedroom apartment.

Again, congratulation to Emmanuel, the winner of our first contest.

New York Habitat is inaugurating a new feature on our blog called Guess the Price. We invite you to guess the price in the comments section of our Blog.

The apartment will be posted on our website tomorrow evening. Check back for an additional blog tomorrow with the results and a link to the new apartment.

The person who guesses the correct price will be offered 10% off the agency fee of a Vacation Rental (30 day or less rental).

The apartment: 5-bedroom in a renovated Harlem townhouse

This 5-bedroom apartment is located on the top floor of a renovated Harlem townhouse. The building is on a block with historic significance and has been land marked because all of the buildings have the same façade as well as green verandas in the front. The apartment’s owner has worked on renovating the entire building saving and restoring many of the original details. The kitchen and bathroom in the apartment have been completely refinished.

Other offering near the apartment:

New York Habitat features several offering in the neighborhood. Some of the other availabilities include:

2-bedroom apartment uptown (NY-12256) for $3000 per month
Studio uptown (NY-12062) for $1300 a month
One-bedroom apartment uptown (NY-12209) (in the same building) for $1800 per month

These offerings should help you to come up with a price for this new offering.

For more info on the neighborhood check out the following blog entries:

Harlem Bed and Breakfasts
New York In Song - “Uptown – The New Harlem”
Harlem apartment rentals near the Renaissance Theater

Once you have collected all of the facts about this apartment submit your entry via comment to this blog. The person who makes the closest guess to the correct price will be notified via e-mail that they are the winner of the 10% discount on one vacation rental. So, if you are interested in knowing more information about the apartments and accommodations New York Habitat offers take a look at the new Guess Apartment Prices section of the Blog and submit your guess for a chance to Win!

Rules:
10% discount on agency fees is only good for vacation rentals (30 days or less rental)
Only one guess per e-mail address
Discount is good for 30 days after you are notified that you are the winner

—————————————————————-

This first contest is now closed.

You can view the result and the winner here: Guess the Price results: Harlem 5 bedroom apartment
To see the apartment visit the 5 Bedroom Apartment in Harlem

Harlem has an increasing number of renovated apartments available in its neighborhoods and, in conjunction, many of its classical landmark buildings are being restored as well.

On February 18th, 2007 Christopher Gray of The New York Times wrote an article titled “A Harlem Landmark in All but Name” that detailed the reconstruction of the Renaissance Theater and Casino. New York Habitat works with several building owners in that area to offer their newly restored apartments and rooms for rent.

Reasons to choose a Harlem accommodation:

New York Habitat’s clients increasingly have been looking for apartments in the Harlem area because of its easy commute times to midtown via the 1,2,3,A,B,C,D,4,5 and 6 trains, its location near Columbia University and its more reasonably priced, larger apartment offerings. Commutes to midtown range from 10 minutes via express trains to 30 minutes via some local trains. For more information on the neighborhood, see some of our other blog entries, including Harlem Bed and Breakfasts and New York In Song - “Uptown – The New Harlem”.

The furnished rental market in Harlem:

Typical prices in the neighborhood for furnished rentals are $1,300 to $1,400 a month for studios, $1,600 to $2,000 for one-bedroom apartments and $2,400 to $3,000 for two-bedroom apartments. Roommate share accommodations are typically in the range of $550 to $950. Vacation rentals in the neighborhood offer a unique opportunity because unlike other neighborhoods there is a higher proportion of large, family-sized apartments and even entire townhouses. The typical price for a studio or a one-bedroom apartment is between $150 and $200 a night while prices for larger apartments are typically between $200 and $400 per night depending on the size.

Some of the choices to consider include NY-11895, a two-bedroom apartment at 150th Street just a short walk from the A,D express trains; NY-12220, a studio in a renovated townhouse on a landmark block near the Renaissance Theater, and NY-10527, a room rental just a few blocks from Central Park and a short walk to Columbia University .

The Renaissance Theater:

The Renaissance Theater is located at 137th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. (Seventh Avenue). The current owners are looking into converting the building — which is presently unused — into a new apartment building and retaining and restoring the casino section. The restored casino will likely be used as a community meeting place if the plans are approved.

It is a good idea to consider the apartment offerings in the area of the Renaissance Theater as the neighborhood continues to develop. Remember the apartments and roommate shares in Harlem for their value, convenience, location and unique properties during your search for the perfect accommodation.