Colorful, light, and book-filled 1-bedroom apartment with a view of the Hudson River and Broadway, and steps from Riverside Park. Elevator building with a security desk in the lobby. VERY convenient location.

1 bedroom, 1 bathroom corner-apartment in an early 1900s building. Neighbors include university folk: administrators and students. Windows in every room. Heat works great, and there is AC in both bedroom and living/dining room.

Large entryway with a comfortable bench where you can take your shoes off, put down your groceries, etc
Lots of books, and one whole shelf with books about New York City, subway/bus maps, guides, etc

BEDROOM: 1 American queen-size bed, down comforter and pillows, and a treadmill. Lots of windows, south and west over the Hudson. Size: 12'4x13' (15 square meters)
BATHROOM: small but functional, with a shower and a nice private view and organic soaps
KITCHEN: small and light with a nice view. Lovely Portuguese dishes, Calphalon cookware and utensils. Italian coffee and Bialetti espresso maker. Lots of herbal teas--mix your own brew if you'd like.
LIVING/DINING ROOM: southern exposure, lots of light, views of Broadway. Comfy couch, armchair, lovely dinner table, writing desk facing the window. Size: 16'x17'10 (25.4 square meters)

I do not have a TV -- but this is a city teeming with life, so I hope you don't miss it during your stay here! There is also laundry in the basement; I will leave you with a laundry card. I do have high-speed wireless, and also a small collection of DVDs.

VERY convenient to seeing the city!

My apartment is in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, an area with lovely turn-of-the-century architecture. I'm right off Broadway, between two parks, near the universities, and on the same block as the subway, buses, grocery stores and pharmacies. Walk from my home to Museum Mile (where the Metropolitan, Guggenheim and many of NYC's lovely museums are)--or of course, take a direct bus from the stop right downstairs.

ON MY BLOCK
- Riverside Park (visit Grant's Tomb, Riverside Church, or walk down the length of Manhattan)
- 1 train DIRECT to the Lincoln Center (12 minutes), Metropolitan Opera (12 minutes), Museum of Natural History (10 minutes), Theater District/Times Square (20 minutes), the Village (35 minutes), and the tip of Manhattan from which you can take the boat to see the Statue of Liberty
- three BUS lines DIRECT to the Metropolitan Museum, Guggenheim, MOMA, Museum Mile, NY Public Library, Fifth Avenue and Central Park, Cloisters Museum/Fort Tryon Park, Columbus Circle, Museum of Arts and Design, the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, Zabar's, and La Guardia Airport
- 24-hour grocery store, 24-hour pharmacy

WITHIN FIVE MINUTES WALK
- Cathedral of St John the Divine, gardens & peacocks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Saint_John_the_Divine
- Grant's Tomb http://www.nps.gov/gegr/index.htm
- Riverside Church http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Church
- Columbia, Barnard
- Tom's Diner (from Seinfeld and from Suzanne Vega's song)
- restaurants, bars, grocery stores, pharmacies
- a small farmer's market every Thursday and Sunday while the seasons permit

WITHIN 10 MINUTES WALK
- Central Park
- the express 2/3 subway (in two stops you'll be at Times Square, three to Penn Station, four to 14th Street/Union Square/the top of the Village, and the train goes to Brooklyn, including the beautiful Park Slope area and Prospect Park) and the C subway line (which goes down Central Park West and into Brooklyn, four stops to the Museum of Natural History, etc)

It's gorgeous walking to the museums from my home through Central Park, and even down to Times Square via Riverside Park--or you can choose to walk along Broadway instead to take in the city sights and the changing neighborhoods. NYC really is a walker's paradise.

Famous one-time residents of this neighborhood include George Gershwin, Cecil B. De Mille, F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Carlin, Justice Thurgood Marshall, Fiona Apple, and President Barack Obama (during his student days).

If you decide to exchange I'm happy to share any tips based on your interests!

I'm allergic to cats, sadly.

Come see NYC for New Year's--or come in June for the Museum Mile Festival, Shakespeare in the Park, River-to-River Festival, Pride Week, free concerts, street fairs, author-readings in Bryant Park, and lots more!

For longer trips (1-3 weeks), I can only go during summer (late May, June or early July) or during winter break (between Christmas and January 10 or so).

For shorter trips (weekends/4 day trips), I have more flexibility.

No exchanges are possible in August or September.

Open to any dates

In general I'm drawn to historical towns and cities throughout the world, and as I live in a major city myself, the idea of a break in an area of natural beauty is also very appealing.

I'd love to stay in any of the national parks in the US, in Dartmoor/thereabouts, North Yorkshire, and Oregon/the Pacific Northwest calls.

Also: Paris, be in touch if you want to exchange for 7-13 days in late May, June or early July 2013.

If you're thinking of NYC and like my location, be in touch with yours!

My name is Ruth. I work at a small university right now, and have worked in international development in the past, traveling to the Balkans and Caucasus. I've lived oversees in Europe and Africa and that desire to meet new cultures, learn new languages, take in new literature, etc, is still with me. My books and my art reflect those interests.

I love learning and exploring, history, art, theater, books--and walking, living, traveling...

I may travel alone or with a friend.

I love my home and would treat yours with the same respect with which I know you'd treat mine.

English, русский