Vacation Rentals by Owner

Wonderful experince!

Guest: Jane & sue (Wa)
Date of Stay: 04/30/12 Review Submitted: 05/13/12

We really enjoyed our time in this lovely condo. The art and amenities were terrific. The owners were really helpful and enhanced the whole experience. The neighborhood was fine and the subway is close by with Manhattan just 15 min away by Ll train. We particularly enjoyed a French Caribbean resturant a couple of blocks from the condo called Kaz Aun Nau. This condo is all it says it is and We will look forward to staying there again! Jane & Sue

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Fantastic Brooklyn Loft

Guest: Brooke (Chicago, IL)
Date of Stay: 04/07/12 Review Submitted: 04/15/12

My parents and I stayed in this well appointed Brooklyn loft for 5 nights. The 2 bedroom loft is perfectly captured by the photos and description (nothing deceptive or misleading which can sometimes be the case w/ urban property rentals). Everything was in perfect working order and the loft was clean and comfortable. The location is excellent - it really couldn't be better as it relates to public transit. Also, Franny's, voted top 5 best pizza places in NYC by NYM, is just a couple of blocks away. The dining in Brooklyn is generally fantastic and we were able to hit up some great places very near the loft (w/in walking) and in Williamsburg. PARKING IS SUPER EASY, CLOSE AND FREE - HUGE PLUS if you have a car. Staying in Brooklyn vs. Manhattan provides a very unique experience - from the dining to the flea market to the various points of interest and tours (Brooklyn Navy Yard tour was voted best tour in all of NYC by NYM and a must do for history buffs).

Recommended for:Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Fabulous home away from home

Guest: travelergirl30 (St. Paul, MN)
Date of Stay: 12/07/11 Review Submitted: 12/23/11

We stayed here with our two kids (3 yo and 9 months), and it was just perfect for us. It was spacious, clean, and if you're coming with kids, you don't need to bring a thing — not even a bedtime book! This place has a closet full of toys, books, a pack-n-play, even a high chair. It's also surprisingly quiet, which makes it easy to get the littles down for naps or for the night. Two subway stations close by, tons of restaurants, spots to pick up groceries, friendly doormen, and a fantastic park across the street. We all loved it and wouldn't stay anywhere else.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

give brooklyn a go

Guest: mick (sydney australia)
Date of Stay: 11/10/11 Review Submitted: 12/05/11

If there is any body out there who is thinking brooklyn isnt for them i say give it a go.This condo is in a brillient location bergen street and atlantic ave subway just a short walk then about 15 mins to 34th street.We felt very safe and secure in the condo and area.There are many great restaurants in the area try cubano great cuban cusine and kas au nou a funky little french caribean place.Pat was very informative to us about the area and building give it a go.Michael sydney australia.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Excellent Brooklyn/NYC Space

Guest: Aaron (Chicago)
Date of Stay: 10/20/11 Review Submitted: 11/07/11

This soft-loft style condo is in a wonderful upscale building with great amenities. The apartment itself is huge by NY standards, super hip in its decor and finishes, and still very comfortable to live and hang out in. Its location is perfect: a great kid-friendly neighborhood, tons of superb food, parks, shopping, and two subway stations that get you everywhere quickly. We stayed here with our two young children and had a great time.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

What a Great Discovery

Guest: DaveS (Corona, California,USA)
Date of Stay: 10/12/11 Review Submitted: 10/27/11

We decided to vacation with another couple and chose Brooklyn as our destination. We wanted to be close to Prospect Park and we were extremely happy with Hannah and Patrick's condo. Loved the location with respect to restaurants, transportation and neighborhood vibe. The historical building that housed the condo was comfortable and convenient. We did not have to travel far in the evening to find an excellent meal and with Bergan's Bagels we started each day. Exceeded our expectations and can't wait to return.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

excellent place for families!

Guest: Chelsea Hilton (Olathe, KS)
Date of Stay: 09/07/11 Review Submitted: 09/12/11

I traveled to Brooklyn last week with my husband and two young daughters for a wedding. The apartment was PERFECT. Great for kids, perfectly stocked, lots of helpful info, hip decor, great building and in a GREAT location.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

May Weekend in the Big Apple....

Guest: NeNe (Boomer, NC )
Date of Stay: 05/20/11 Review Submitted: 05/31/11

Just wanted to say that Patrick and Hannah were very informative about the area. Benefited greatly from the variety of maps and literature available in the condo, we had some great ideas before setting out on our adventures. The rental will be excellent when the construction is complete across the street, if you are early risers, no biggy. The pictures online match this fabo Brooklyn abode.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

Girls' Weekend Away

Guest: Bluebird (Toronto, Canada)
Date of Stay: 05/13/11 Review Submitted: 05/20/11

The condo was perfect for my friend and I for our getaway weekend. Clean, spacious with great design features. Comfortable and inviting. Close to the subway, and some very cool shops, restaurants and the flea market. We were very happy.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Brooklyn Rocks!

Guest: ColumbiaRich (Columbia, MD)
Date of Stay: 04/28/11 Review Submitted: 05/03/11

Apartment was more than expected, and was able to park on the street every night. Pat and Hannah were great about answering my questions, meeting us there, etc. Proves the point ... New Yorkers are nice people, and Brooklyn is a wondefrul place to visit.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Brilliant for young families

Guest: Jon (Bath, UK)
Date of Stay: 02/21/11 Review Submitted: 03/02/11

We have just returned from a week in this apartment with a 3 year old girl and 1 year old boy, and it was perfect. - Location is very good. 1 block from subway with express trains into Manhattan, loads of shops, supermarkets, restaurants and diners within 5 minutes walk, and a good sized playground opposite the building. The only downside is it often took 20 minutes to get our kids through the playground! - Apartment is excellent and there is a lot of space (plus a lot of room for storage). Sofas and beds were really comfortable and the apartment was very clean. We experienced no noise at all despite being opposite a building site. There is a large, well-stocked gym and laundry in the basement. Doormen were very friendly and security-conscious (we were happy that they asked to see our key when we came in behind someone else) - Owners were very helpful. They had left a massive amount of info, takeaway menus etc, provided a highchair and "Pack n play" travelcot, and went beyond the call of duty letting us use all their toys, books and DVDs. Our kids absolutely loved it. They were also very relaxed when we stained one of their cushion covers and didn't take anything out of the damage deposit. - Price was very reasonable. My brother lives locally and was surprised at how little we were paying. Hopefully Patrick and Hannah won't raise the prices now!!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Spotless apartment in a great location

Guest: Ellen and Connie (Atlanta, GA)
Date of Stay: 12/18/10 Review Submitted: 12/29/10

I really cannot say enough good things about this property. First off, it is HUGE. Not just by NY standards, but by normal standards. I would guesstimate that the apt is at least 1200 sq. ft. Next, the location is dynamite. The apt is one block from the subway, which whisks you right into Manhattan. Also nearby is a bustling street (5th Avenue) loaded with great eats, drinks and shopping. Also, the owners are terrific. They checked in during our stay to make sure we were enjoying ourselves. They have compiled an impressive array of delivery menus, area info, maps, etc. which we found very, very useful. The apartment is on a very quiet street, notwithstanding a firehouse 1/2 block down. I guess they don't run the sirens until they get into heavy traffic, because I never heard so much as a peep. Finally, this apt is CLEAN. I am talking eat off the floor clean. We did not see a single bug or other critter during our 10 day stay. If you are looking to stay in Brooklyn or very near Manhattan, this is the place. We will be coming back, and we will stay here. Do yourself a favor and check it out. You will not be disappointed.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guests from England

Guest: Rod (England)
Date of Stay: 12/10/10 Review Submitted: 12/18/10

Rental had everything needed for a stay..everything was in working order...very close to shopping for food and subway lines to Manhattan etc. and many places to eat within a short walk. Nice to have own control of heat in winter and air conditioning in summer. Owner was very helpful and friendly. Rental description and photos on web site very accurate.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

The perfect place for a great trip to New York

Guest: Heather (Atlanta, GA)
Date of Stay: 12/04/10 Review Submitted: 12/08/10

We just stayed at this condo last weekend. The location couldn't of been better. Right down the street from the subway. Grab breakfast on your way into the city at Bergan St Bagels, and grab your pizza at Gino's when you get home at night. Fantastic location. The condo was lovely. Great kitchen facilities, love the open feel to it. It is very quiet. Love all the nostalgic decorations. You can tell these owners take great care of the place. I took three teenage girls up for shopping for the weekend, and we just had a blast. The beds were so comfortable, and the tv was great. When we go back, this is where we will stay time and time again! Thanks Pat and Hannah, you were a pleasure.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Spacious 2 BR Condo, was great for our family of 4

Guest: Gilmango (SF, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 10/06/10 Review Submitted: 11/19/10

We stayed here in October and from this Prospect Heights condo we walked or took short subway or bus rides to Park Slope, Prospect Park and Grand Army Plaza, Fort Greene, Cobble Hill, Crown Heights (for jerk chicken and goat curry), the Brooklyn Bridge, the Transit Museum in downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights and the Promenade, etc. Easy to take the subway into Manhattan, the Bergen St. Station on the 2/3 (not F) is about 3 blocks away; many more subways are on the other side of the new stadium that is being built a block away, which will be the Nets home in the future, atop the LIRR Atlantic Terminal/yard. We did not need a car at all, parking available in the building for extra $ or on the street outside for free. The pictures of the place are very accurate, save that the rooftop is not open (that seemed to be where the last of the buildings construction was taking place). As we left it appeared that the scaffolding outside the windows was coming down. We never heard noise from construction as this unit is on the first floor and construction was at the top. Property was clean, kitchen was well stocked. Pat gave us a good tour of the property when we arrived and Hannah was helpful on email before and after. The place was great for our kids as their was a pack'n'play crib for our youngest and lots of toys for both kids to play with as the owners have a young kid of their own. Plenty of room for two couples to share as well. Great TV with cable but no stereo so we played CDs via the TV speakers and DVD player. The area is great if you like exploring Brooklyn, and access to Manhattan was easy and fast too. Across Flatbush on Fifth Avenue you will find a large Key Food grocery store, Gorilla Coffee, Bierkraft beer store and bar, plenty of restaurants there, on Flatbush, on Vanderbilt, really all around. Brooklyn Larder on Flatbush was great for fancy foods and beer to go. The Bagel shop on Bergen was great. Really liked the wine shop on Vanderbilt too.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Lovely, quiet apartment in an excellent location

Guest: Cath (Co. Durham, UK)
Date of Stay: 09/26/10 Review Submitted: 10/15/10

We rented the apartment earlier this month, and couldn't have been happier with it. I was a bit nervous having never used VRBO before but Pat and Hannah made the transaction really easy, their communication was great, and they were happy to send me more reviews from the guestbooks they have. Yes, there is work going on on the building, but I can honestly say we were not bothered once by any noise or disruption. In fact I was amazed at how quiet the apartment was, there is no traffic noise or anything to disturb you. The apartment itself is really well equipped and beautifully furnished - if you want to emulate Pat and Hannah's style get yourself along to Brooklyn Flea for some quirky and stylish pieces! The apartment was ideally located for us, we were able to get into Manhattan really easily on the subway, but we also were able to explore Brooklyn, and even got down to Coney Island! Prospect Park is beautiful, and the Botanic Gardens are not to be missed. I would not hesitate to recommend this apartment to anyone and if we ever return to NY I know where we'll be staying! Thank you Pat and Hannah for a wonderful and memorable holiday.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Building in final stages of construction...

Guest: Joanne (Ottawa)
Date of Stay: 08/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/31/10

While the condo was lovely inside and just a great as it looks in the pictures, the building itself is in the final stages of construction. Scaffolding outside the windows, the front of the building covered in construction tarps, hall carpets covered in paper, etc. etc. We were woken each morning to jackhammers directly outside our windows. NIghtmare! When I complained to the owner upon arrival that I thought he should have been forthcoming about the state of the building he was aggressive and rude, telling me that "it's been like this for three years and if I didn't like it, he didn't want me there..." This as my three kids sat on the couch watching. I would definitely give this building a MISS until you can be sure that the construction is complete. While we were there we received a notice from the property management that the hot water would be shut off the following week from 8 am until 8 pm to allow work on the boiler. I feel for the next renters, if there are any.

Owner response:This particular guest did, in fact, seem unusually displeased with the Condo upon her arrival. While this negative reaction has never once presented itself to us before in the three years of renting, Patrick thought it appropriate to offer this guest the option of accepting her money back.  He also recommended a nearby Holiday Inn Express a few blocks down as an alternative accommodation.  We find it unfortunate that this guest perceived this response as rude, but rather we feel it was simply the right thing to do.   Once we received the single phone complaint from this guest on the last day of her stay, we were stunned by the fact that there was any noise at all within the Condo, let alone jack-hammering "directly outside the windows" occurring "each morning" of her stay.   We immediately apologized and promptly called the building's management team to assess the situation, as we were fully prepared to complain about any work and/or noise that had ensued without our knowledge.  To our surprise, our building did find a minor cosmetic issue with the exterior material of the wall near our unit, and made a decision to go ahead with this quick repair. We were assured by the Board (which was also confirmed by our neighbors) that the work done was completed within at the most three working hours in one day.     While we completely regret the legitimate inconvenience, we a) weren't in any way notified of this work to be done by our building beforehand, b) sincerely apologized to this guest and c) offered her financial equivalent a complimentary night in compensation for the trouble, as well as again offered her the option to stay elsewhere for the remainder of her vacation.   With the exception of this single experience, the Condo is incredibly quiet with triple-pane windows facing a street with very little traffic. We were also fully aware of the following week's plans of hot water shut-off in the building as we do ourselves use and live in the Condo part-time. As such, we had no intention to rent out the Condo to anyone for this time period.    Please feel free to contact us directly if anyone has any other questions or concerns. We are more than happy to send along a sample from the 100% positive comments from our two FULL guest books spanning the last three years. Sincerely, Hannah and Patrick

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