New York Habitat Blog

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!

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.

With so many museums and galleries, it’s always a good time for art in London—but there’s no better time than fall for art fairs. A conveniently located New York Habitat vacation rental is the perfect place for you to stay while you do your part to support the arts. 

London Accommodation :1-bedroom rental in shoreditch (LN-573)

The Frieze Art Fair in Regent’s Park is London’s biggest and sets the standard for all other art fairs in town. Running from October 15-18, Frieze will feature—along with local and international gallery stalls—a crash-landing sculpture, an in-house artist photographing visitors, and another artist making “knock-offs” of well-known works. Look for the huge tents in Regent’s Park for all the artistic action—but be warned that there is an admission fee.

Zoo is an art fair showcasing twenty-one different galleries and a dozen limited-edition print stalls, selling work that starts at a wallet-friendly £10. If you’re more interested in looking than buying, check out the central exhibit on psychedelia. Taking place from October 16-19 on Old Street, in the happening Shoreditch section of London, Zoo also has a champagne bar on hand.

Pavilion is an up-market art fair that focuses on interiors and design. Though there is an admission fee, the works on show span over 150 years of artistic design, so it’s well worth the price. Pavilion takes place from October 14-18 at Berkeley Square.

Finally, the Free Art Fair (from October 12-18 at the Barbican Centre) is just what it sounds like: All of the various art works on display are given away for free on the final day of the show. You must bring an entry form with you to take part in the lottery; if they call your name, you get to pick the piece you want. (See www.freeartfair.com for details.) This show is both a labor of love from the artists and a favorite of those who appreciate the idea of making art accessible to all. However, this year is rumored to be the last, so catch it while you can.

Barbican Arts Centre

For some affordable, well-designed places to stay amidst all the art fair frenzy, consider the following New York Habitat flats:     

• An eclectically decorated 1-bedroom rental accommodation in Shoreditch, Hackney (LN-573) near Old Street station. This funky second-floor flat has three double beds (including a sofa bed), so it can easily sleep six. Located in the site of a former furniture and frame factory built around the turn of the century, the apartment has maintained some original features (such as double warehouse doors), as well as adding modern amenities, like a balcony, laundry, and a dining table that seats fourteen!

• A spacious 1-bedroom vacation rental in Fitzrovia, Westminster (LN-775) on the second floor of a modern building with elevators, centrally located near Regent’s Park and Oxford Circus stations. This rental comes with a double bed, laundry, a large, lovely kitchen, and plenty of natural light.

• A bright and airy 2-bedroom vacation accommodation in Regent’s Park-Camden, Brent (LN-602) on the sixth floor of a period mansion block with elevators. This flat features both a king-sized and double bed, laundry/dryer, and a balcony—plus plenty of framed posters for film lovers. 

This fall in London, it’s easy to appreciate the arts—and the amazing apartments that New York Habitat has to offer. Let us know which art fair you’d most like to attend with a comment below.

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.

Of all the attractions, activities, sightseeing and nightlife in London, theatre reigns supreme. From lavish West End productions to smaller, experimental shows, taking in at least one theatrical performance is a necessity for travelers to London—and while New York Habitat can’t get you the best seat in the house, we can definitely get you the best flats in the city.

Lyceum Theatre in London's West End

For big-name productions, spectacle and actors this autumn, consider getting tickets in advance for Breakfast at Tiffany’s (which immortalized Audrey Hepburn on screen), Billy Elliott, Shakespeare’s Othello or All’s Well That Ends Well, Inherit the Wind (with Kevin Spacey), the anticipated musical Oliver!, The Shawshank Redemption (based on Stephen King’s novella and made famous by the Hollywood film), Dirty Dancing (which does honor to the late Patrick Swayze) or countless other West End performances.

If you’re looking for titles that are perhaps a little less well known but come with loads of critical acclaim, you may want to catch Enron, Orphans (a favorite at the Edinburgh Festival), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Samuel Beckett’s masterful Endgame, An Inspector Calls, the quintessentially English Prick Up Your Ears, War Horse, The Fastest Clock in the Universe (which first starred a young Jude Law) or any of the other quality shows available at venues throughout the city.

For fringe theatre that often offers cheaper seats with the same high quality performances and more cutting-edge material, plan on seeing the politically relevant Not Black and White: Seize the Day, a Tennessee Williams’ triple bill at the New End Theatre, a “re-imaging” of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, The Cut Off Festival (finalists of which are voted upon by the audience), the eclectic Infinite Variety, Showstopper (which is an improvised musical written an hour beforehand) or a variety of other experimental shows at smaller venues around London.

Whichever bookings you decide to make, let New York Habitat help get you to the show on time with conveniently located, well appointed accommodations, such as:

• A sunny, contemporary studio in Bloomsbury, Westminster (LN-507) on the first floor of a mansion block with elevator. This vacation rental comes with a loft-style double bed, laundry/dryer, cute, well-equipped kitchen and large windows to “let the sun shine in.” Smoking is permitted.

London Accommodation: Studio in Bloomsbury (LN-507)

• A charming 2-bedroom rental accommodation in Bloomsbury, Westminster (LN-786) on the second floor of a mansion block overlooking a small garden square. There is a laundry/dryer and each bedroom has (large) single beds. This flat is conveniently located near the British Museum, Covent Garden, Chinatown, shopping and theatres, which feel about “39 Steps” away.

• A spacious and comfortable 1-bedroom vacation rental in Mayfair, Westminster (LN-797) on a quiet side street off Piccadilly Arcade. Located close to Green Park, theatre land and loads of nightlife, this flat has everything “As You Like It”: king-sized bed, decorative fireplace, laundry/dryer and use of the gym. 

Whether your taste in theatre is classical or contemporary, London has something for you—and the same is true for New York Habitat rental accommodations.

Let us know which London shows you’re interested in seeing with a comment below.