Over the last few years, many in the Jewish community have been collecting and using credit card & hotel points to stay at hotels during their travels. I am not excluded from those who do this and it has saved me thousands of dollars on my travels in the process. [For more on how to earn thousands of points to effectively subsidize your travels, click here].
However, there are many instances where major chain hotels (that accept points) do not exist. This is often the case in or near frum Jewish neighborhoods around the world. That is where AirBNB can step in. For those still unfamiliar with the company, AirBNB allows anyone to rent out their house, apartment, villa, room, etc. to anyone else.
One should look always look into AirBNB when hotel options aren’t available, but know that there won’t always be a huge supply of options in every area.
We decided to take a look at AirBNB availability (as of the of July 2015, looking at a 2-night stay at the end of the summer) in and around major from neighborhoods around the world. (While we looked at many areas around the world, obviously we didn’t search all. Comment below and we can look into another area and add it to this list. Additionally, while this is only a search at a snapshot in time, even if we add 50-150% more available options for future dates, this unscientific research should be a decent indicator of what exists in any given area. Also keep in mind that more AirBNB hosts may add listings to these areas in the future, so it’ll be worth checking back in a year to see if things have changed).
Here are the neighborhoods we’re looked into (please be patient as we fill this out – come back soon as we’re in process of looking through all of these areas):
- ISRAEL – [coming soon]
- New York
- Brooklyn
- Borough Park
- Crown Heights
- Flatbush / Midwood / Marine Park
- Williamsburg
- Queens
- Forest Hills
- Jamaica Estates / Hillcrest / Kew Gardens Hills
- Manhattan
- Lower East Side
- Upper East Side
- Upper West Side
- Washington Heights
- Long Island
- 5 Towns
- Great Neck
- Long Beach
- Bronx / Westchester
- Riverdale
- New Rochelle
- Scarsdale
- The Catskills area
- Monsey area
- Brooklyn
- New Jersey – [coming soon]
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- Teaneck / Englewood
- Lakewood
- Deal
- Boston – [coming soon]
-
- Brookline
- Newton
- Philadelphia – [coming soon]
-
- Bala Cynwyd / Merion Station
- Maryland / DC – [coming soon]
-
- Baltimore (specific neighborhood)
- Silver Spring
- (neighborhood in DC)
- Florida – [coming soon]
-
- Boca Raton
- Miami Beach
- Bal Harbour / Surfside
- North Miami Beach / Aventura
- Ft. Lauderdale / Hollywood / Hallendale
- Chicago – [coming soon]
-
- Skokie
- West Rogers Park
- Los Angeles – [coming soon]
-
- Beverlywood / Pico/Robertson
- La Brea
- Canada – [coming soon]
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- Montreal
-
- Cote St. Luc
- Toronto
-
- Lawrence / Bathurst
- Vaughn
- UK – [coming soon]
-
- London
-
- Golders Green
- Hendon
- Manchester
- France – [coming soon]
-
- Paris
- Nice
- Marseille
- Italy – [coming soon]
-
- Rome
- Panama – [coming soon]
- Argentina – [coming soon]
-
- Buenos Aires
-
- Once
- Recoleta
- Brazil – [coming soon]
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- Rio de Janiero
- Sao Paulo
- Uruguay – [coming soon]
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- Punta Del Este
- South Africa – [coming soon]
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- Johannesburg
- Cape Town
- Australia – [coming soon]
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- Melbourne
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- East St. Kilda
- Sydney
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- Bondi
It is important to be aware that rentals of less than 30 days are illegal in NY. ( and other areas have their own restrictive laws. You can read here
http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-releases-report-documenting-widespread-illegality-across-airbnbs-nyc
or here
http://www.nysenate.gov/report/answers-new-yorkers-concerned-or-confused-about-illegal-hotel-law
if you want more clarification. Bottom line, unless it is a 2 family home, or the legal resident of the apartment is there with you, you are breaking the law. ( and don’t forget many condos, co ops, and rental unit owners also have their own rules.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5402691?locale=en
The Riverdale rentals are in the heart of the Jewish area, near half a dozen orthodox shuls and a few restaurants
In London you could add Elstree and Borehamwood..3 miles further north of Golders/ Hendon.. fastest growing community in UK.. we have everything here.. and more such as countryside on the doorstep.. we have quiet and hussle bussle…kosher apartment is listed on Airbnb. Free from September as I’m off to Montreal for chagim?
all the best