christmas in new york for 3
 

Hi!

I need some help - we are planning to spend christmas in new york with a young baby, sam who will be 7 months at the time. I would like to rent an apt for our stay and live like a true new yorker! there are certain things that i need - it must be a 1 bedroom place and have a microwave - i would like to rent from a home owner - to have creature comforts as we wont be having a wild one! can anyone suggest any sites i can try? i have found newyork.craigslist.org are there any other sites like this?

www.vrbo.com 'vacation rental by owner'. you would want some clear idea what part of town you want to be in otherwise you will have to sift through 100's of options.

Not sure why you're limiting yourself to a private rental. Esp with an infant I would want the reliability of a commercial enterprise - not some stranger's idea of what is clean and safe.

Also - many of the private rentals are in brownstones or tenements - which don;t have elevators - meaning dealing with luggage, kid and stroller and groceries/packages up and down up to 5/6 flights of stairs every time you want to go out.

I think an apartment is a great idea with an infant - but you need to select very carefully - for safety and convenience - and I would think you could get a good rate in corporate apartment rentals - many of which won;t be in use over the holidays.

Not sure if you're aware there are now many hotels with apartment style rooms so you have the best of both worlds, hotel services (like daily maid service, front desk, concierge) AND the conveniences of an apt. Affinia.com is a group of 7 hotels like this. There are also other individual ones like the Beacon and the Milburne on the upper westside, a very family friendly location.

Rooms2book.com is an agent that rents for some of these hotels plus some other apt. buildings.

NYhabitat.com and citylightsnewyork.com are also apt. agents. There are many more as well. I agree with nytraveler, it's a bit safer to rent through an agent who will be responsible for any problems.

The Salisbury Hotel and most of the Affina hotels have one bedroom apts.

Agree with nytraveler, the hotel option may be better for you.

BTW, wealthy New Yorkers have been living in hotels for decades.

The Waldorf Towers, Carlyle, Ritz-Carlton, Trump Tower, Plaza-Athenee and many more all have private apartments.

Marriott is opening a Residence Inn in November. They usually have a real kitchen and a nice sized sitting area. They also have 1 bedroom units available. YOu might find this will meet your needs.

craigslist is your best bet. Loads of people try to rent out their apartments over the holidays, my brother's girlfriend among them. Just make sure it has all the conveniences you'll need for Sam. Are you planning to bring a crib, or does he sleep with you? I would also suggest you look for a place in a baby-friendly area: Upper West Side comes to mind, but parts of the Village and Chelsea too, Tribeca. I agree that a hotel or corporate apartment might be easier, but on the other hand, it will most likely be more expensive and not as homey. Post again if you need help with baby-friendly restaurants.

Are you talking *this* Christmas? You really should move quickly as much will already be booked. I wouldn't go through craigs list -- to much junk to sift through and you really don't have a whole lot of time.