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… »

Welcome back to another edition of our video series on free things to do in New York City.

If your watching this video, you are likely coming to New York City soon and you are also looking to save some money.  If you haven’t already, you really should consider renting a furnished apartment.  It’s a great way to save money over a hotel and it’ll give you a true authentic New York experience.

Get the Flash Player to see this player. Click above to watch this video: Free things to do in New York – Free Guided Tours. (2:34)

Take a look at this studio apartment just a few blocks from Times Square (NY- 12272).

We’ve also got this fantastic one bedroom rental apartment in Midtown East (NY-12611).

New York Studio: Midtown West NY-12272

Everyone knows it’s easy to spend money in New York.  But what if you don’t want to?  I’m here to show you more great things you can do… without having to take out your wallet.

Walking tours of New York are a great way to learn about the city.  And most of them are well worth the money spent.  But if you’re looking for a more independent (and free) alternative, you should definitely consider a pod tour. 

Pod tours are unique because you can pause your iPod at any time during the tour to stop and explore on your own.  Stop for lunch, do some impromptu shopping or take a phone call.  You are in control of the pace of the tour.

You can find free pod tours for Central Park, the Lower East Side and even the Museum of Modern Art.  Check out a few that I found online.

• Free MoMA Pod tours
• The Lower East Side free pod tour
• Central Park – pod tour
• The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council

If you prefer to have a real live guide, there are also some great free group tours in New York. 

For example you can catch the 8th Street Walking Tour in Greenwich Village where you’ll see where Jimi Hendrix built the Electric Lady sound studios and Barbra Streisand debuted at the Bon Soir.

And instead of just visiting Grand Central Station, why not take a free guided tour?  Every Friday at 12.30, you can catch a free tour of Grand Central and the surrounding area led by one of New York’s most renowned tour guides, Justin Ferate.

Other great free guided tours you can find in New York are:
Orchard Street Walking Tour
The Union Square Walking Tour
Times Square Tour

Another fun thing to consider during your next trip to New York is Big Apple Greeters.  It’s a non-profit organization that matches visitors with friendly and enthusiastic New Yorkers who are happy to share the city they love.  This is truly a way to see New York through the eyes of a New Yorker.

What’s great about the pod tours and many of the guided tours, besides the fact that they’re free, is that you will learn many lesser-known aspects of New York.  Many of the free guided tours are led by true New Yorkers, meaning you’ll get some authentic exposure to this massive city.

Well I hope this video has given you more ideas on how to save money and still have fun in New York City.  Don’t forget to check out our selection of thousands of furnished apartments and vacation retnals throughout New York.

We’re back for another installment of our video tour of Central Park.  In our first Central Park video we took you to some great places like Bethesda Terrace and the Central Park Zoo.  We’ve got a lot more in store for you in this next video.

Get the Flash Player to see this player. Click above to watch this video: Central Park Video Tour – Part 2. (5:22)

The Bow Bridge:
There are 36 bridges in Central Park, and not one of them is alike.  Bow Bridge is one of the most photographed and filmed locations in Central Park.  Completed in 1862, it is constructed of cast iron.  It offers a fantastic view of the Lake and you can wave at boat riders as the pass under the bridge.

The Ramble:
We’re entering Central Park’s forest.  It’s hard to believe that this is not a natural forest, but rather was hand-planted 150 years ago.  Today it has grown into a mature forest ready to be explored.

Central Park

Strawberry Fields: – West Side between 71st and 74th Streets
We’re at Strawberry Fields.  Just across the street is the Dakota Apartment Building where John Lennon was shot in December 1980.  After Lennon’s death, Yoko Ono donated money to have this small corner of the park dedicated in his honor.  It’s one of the more popular spots in the park, so you’ll want to come pay a visit.

Belvedere Castle: - Mid-Park at 79th Street
Perhaps the most magical monument in Central Park, the Belvedere Castle provides a panoramic view in almost every direction.  You’ll get great views of the Delacorte Theater, the recently restored, 55-acre Great Lawn and Turtle Pond.

Read the entire story here… »

In today’s video we’re going to get out of The City.  In New York, you don’t have to go far to escape the craziness of city life.  In fact, New York has a massive 843-acre oasis right in the middle of Manhattan called Central Park.

Central Park hosts over 25 million visitors per year.  It’s the most visited park in the United States and its appearance in many movies and television shows has made it famous around the world.

Get the Flash Player to see this player. Click above to watch this video: Central Park Video Tour – Part 1. (4:40)

Central Park is bordered on the north by West 110th Street, on the south by West 59th Street, on the west by Eighth Avenue – which along the Park’s borders are known as Central Park North, Central Park South, and Central Park West respectively. Fifth Avenue retains its name and forms the eastern border of the park.

Central Park contains several lakes and ponds, extensive walking trails, two ice-skating rinks (one of which is a swimming pool in July and August), the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, a wildlife sanctuary, a large area of natural woods, a reservoir with an encircling running track, 37 kids playgrounds, children’s yoga, the Delacorte Theater and, of course, the famous Central Park Carousel.

I think you get the idea.  There’s A LOT to do here.  But so that you don’t get overwhelmed, we’re going to make this into a multi-part video series.  In this “Central Park Mini Series” I’m going to take you around to a few of my favorite places:
Read the entire story here… »

Well I’m back with another New York neighborhood video tour. Today I’m going to show you yet another fascinating New York neighborhood, Chinatown, which stands proud as a small city within The City. So what makes Chinatown so special?  Let’s find out.

Chinatown is located on the East Side of Lower Manhattan.  It’s constantly growing, over taking other neighborhoods and changing, but as of now it is roughly bordered by Broome Street to the North, Broadway to the West, Worth Street and East Broadway to the South, and Essex Street to the East. 

Get the Flash Player to see this player.  Click above to watch this video: Video Tour of Chinatown, New York.(5:02)

Chatham Square:
What better place to start our tour of Chinatown than in Chatham Square.  Once a large open air market in the early 1800’s, it became a center for tattoo parlors, flophouses, and saloons in the mid 1800’s, but today has turned into a major intersection in Chinatown.   You’ll find the Kimlau Memorial Arch dedicated to Chinese Americans in the name of freedom and democracy. 

Chinatown’s History and Landmarks:
On Mott Street, just a few blocks away from Chatam Square, is where in 1858 the Cantonese businessman, Ah Ken, became the first Chinese to immigrate to Chinatown.  He eventually opened a successful cigar shop and from that point on, a steady stream of Chinese started settling in the area.

When the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was enacted the Chinese population in this small neighborhood exploded.  Today Chinatown’s population is estimated around 100,000.

Read the entire story here… »

It was a beautiful day in May when we decided to give you a little tour of Greenwich Village - home to a community of people who arguably changed the world.  This small area below 14th Street and west of Broadway has been home to rebels, nonconformists, beatniks, bohemians and starving artists for over 100 years now.

This is the closest you’ll get to a Parisian feel in New York.  You’ll find tightly packed low-rise brownstones with tiny gardens, second hand stores, tons of cafes and restaurants… and lots of history.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.  Click above to watch this video: Video Tour of Greenwich Village.(3:25)

Starting in the late 1800s, Greenwich Village became the epicenter of art and music in New York.  Artists and musicians from all over flocked to the Village where they found camaraderie, inspiration and affordable housing.

After the Second World War, the Village was taken over by the Beat Movement.  Beatniks, with their bohemian “live and let live” lifestyles, spent their time in the many coffeehouses, jazz clubs, and poetry reading forums of the Village.  The paths of many famous musicians writers and actors passed through the eclectic streets of Greenwich Village including Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Edgar Allen Poe, and Mark Twain.

Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park:
A great place to start our tour of Greenwich Village is Washington Square Park.  It is home of the famous Washington Square Arch, which was built in the late 1800s to celebrate the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration as president of the United States.

The park is a meeting place for both young and old.  You’ll find impromptu live music, playgrounds, street performers, chess tables and more.  Surrounded by the New York University campus, this area is young and alive with an almost carnival atmosphere.

The interesting thing about Greenwich Village is that the starving artists were the ones who brought charm and appeal to the area.  Ultimately the very appeal they created started attracting wealthier New Yorkers, which drove the prices up and, eventually, caused most starving artists to relocate elsewhere in the city.

Luckily, the charm remains strong in the Village and it’s a great place to rent a furnished apartment during your next trip to New York.  We have furnished apartments to suit any taste sprinkled throughout the Village.

For example, we have this beautiful studio in the heart of Greenwich Village (NY-12568).  It’s just a couple blocks away from Washington Square Park.  With plenty of room for 2, it features a fully equipped kitchen and a small balcony with a view of the Empire State Building.

Another great option is this Greenwich Village one bedroom apartment (NY-14167) in the heart of the action on Bleecker Street.

So if you’re looking to get a taste of how Dylan or Hendrix lived, skip the hotel, and find a vacation rental to live like a true Villager in Greenwich!

MacDougal Street:
MacDougal Street is a one-way street about 6 blocks long in Greenwich Village.  It has been the subject of many songs and poems. It’s been frequented by numerous famous individuals including Bob Dylan, Matthew Broderick and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Cafe Wha? - at 115 Macdougal Street
Located at 115 Macdougal Street, Cafe Wha? is a club in Greenwich Village that has been home to various musicians and comedians. Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, The Velvet Underground, and Kool and the Gang are just a few of the many icons that have found their beginnings at the Café Wha?.

Mamoun’s Falafel – 119 MacDougal St
Back in the 70s, the starving artists knew that all they needed to eat was 25¢ .  Because a quarter was all it took to get a Falafel at Mamoun’s on MacDougal St.  Today, the prices have gone up, but the falafels are still amazing.

Greenwich Village

West 4th Street Courts:
At the West 4th Street Courts, also known as “The Cage”, you will find some of the finest street ball players in the country.

The Speakeasy - 106 Perry Street
In the time of Prohibition back in the 1920’s, secret bars known as speakeasies sprung up all over the city.  Many were located right here in Greenwich Village.  American author Henry Miller opened a short-lived speakeasy in the basement of his home at 106 Perry St.

Sex and the City - 66 Perry Street
Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in Sex in the City may have fictitiously been located in the Upper East Side, but the apartment is actually located right here in Greenwich Village. If you want to see the house of Sarah Jessica Parker, the real Carrie Bradshaw, and her husband Matthew Broderick, take a stroll down Charles Street, you might see them cleaning their sidewalk.

The Friends Building - 90 Bedford Street
If the names Joey, Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel and Phoebe mean anything to you, make sure you visit the corner of Bedford St. & Grove St. in Greenwich Village to pay homage to the “Friends’ Building”.  This is the building where the Friends supposedly lived in the hit sitcom we all know and love.  In fact, before the producers decided on the title “Friends”, the working title of the show was “Once Upon a Time in the Village”.

Narrowest House in NYC – 75 ½ Bedford St
Coming in at nine and a half feet wide, you’ll find the narrowest house in NYC at 75 ½ Bedford St.  The Pulitzer Prize winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay lived there for a short while.

Well, that’s all we could fit in for today.  But there’s tons more to see and experience in Greenwich Village.  If I’ve missed some of you’re favorite Village must-sees, be sure to leave them share them in the comments below.

And don’t forget, one of the best ways to experience Greenwich Village is to live there. What better way to live there than by renting a vacation rental apartment from New York Habitat.  Visit our website at www.nyhabitat.com where you’ll find hundreds of vacation rentals and furnished apartments of all shapes and sizes the Village and all over New York City.

Hello once again. Welcome to another New York Habitat video blog! Today, we are going to get a little taste of one of New York’s most famous neighborhoods, known as SoHo. You may have imagined SoHo as the one of the most fashionable areas in New York with its loft-style apartments, art galleries, and its diverse shopping. If you imagined SoHo like that then you are right. SoHo, which stands for SOuth of HOuston Street, is undeniably one of the coolest neighborhoods in New York. It’s has been the backdrop for fashion shoots, TV commercials and Hollywood blockbusters like Men in Black, Spiderman or Unfaithful. Many famous stars have their New York apartments in SoHo. They wander the streets randomly, so be sure to keep an eye out for celebrity sightings. In fact, the day we were out filming this video, we met Whoopi Goldberg!

Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Click above to watch this video: Tour of SoHo, New York – What to see and do.(4:58)

You’ll find SoHo in southern Manhattan just to the south of Greenwich Village. The boundaries of the heart of SoHo are roughly Houston Street to the north, Canal Street to the south, Crosby Street to the east and 6th Ave to the west.

SoHo’s Architecture and landmarks:

Before we get into the modern day delights of SoHo, let’s step back in history a bit. What is fascinating about this neighborhood is that it is the largest surviving cast-iron building district in the world. Many commercial buildings along Broadway and Spring Street feature this type of construction. Cast-iron’s fire-resistant properties and strength made it possible to construct large building façades at less cost than comparable stone fronts.

A great example of SoHo’s cast-iron buildings is 28-30 Greene Street. Built in 1872, it’s known as the “Queen of Greene Street”. It towers over the street with its ornate French Second Empire façade. And of course, every Queen needs a King. Located at 72 Green Street is another cast-iron building known as the King of Greene Street. This cast-iron beauty, built in 1873, is probably the best example of the Second Empire architectural style in New York City.

As you might know, SoHo is also well known for its loft style apartments. In the late 1800s, SoHo became an industrial district where workers toiled in dangerous conditions. Eventually, in the 1960s, as most of the commercial and manufacturing buildings were abandoned, SoHo was almost destroyed. As with many of New York’s neighborhoods, SoHo was saved by artists who settled there and used the large loft spaces as studios. As artists moved in, the district became populated with galleries and eventually SoHo became the center of the lower Manhattan art scene. Today, the area remains full of art galleries.

Some of our favorite SoHo area lofts include:

This 2-bedroom loft apartment centrally located in SoHo on Prince Street (NY-9572)

This amazing 3-bedroom loft in neighboring Tribeca (NY-5278).

Or for something smaller, this one-bedroom duplex loft vacation rental on West Broadway in SoHo (NY-12831).

Read the entire story here… »