The far West Village, one block from Meatpacking and the High Line.
The building went up in the late 1800s as a boarding house for the men who worked the Hudson docks. The neighborhood has calmed down since. Most mornings the loudest thing on the block is the tree out front.
It wasn't always quiet. This was where the troublemakers gathered: James Baldwin, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac in the fifties, Bob Dylan and Jane Jacobs in the sixties, and the Stonewall uprising a few blocks east in 1969. The Village made a habit of changing the country from a barstool.
The apartment is one room, put together slowly and on purpose. Everything in it earns its place. The toilet will change you. The lights come on when you walk in.
It's yours while you're here.
Getting In.
New York, NY 10014
Apartment 2B. Up one flight, first door.
From the airport
A car is easiest from JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark. Give the driver the address, not the neighborhood. Taking the subway? Tap Google Maps above; it'll route you from whichever airport you're at.
The front door
Before you arrive I'll text you a ButterflyMX visitor pass. Save it to your phone's wallet. At the intercom by the front door, tap Visitor Pass and hold your QR code up to the camera.
On humid days the camera fogs. If it won't read, tap Door Pin instead and enter the PIN that came with your pass.
The apartment door
You'll get an email from door.com with a link to download the Door app and set up your profile. Do this before you travel. Once it's set up, open the app and check that you see 2B. If you don't, text me and I'll fix it from here.
Inside the lobby, go up the stairs; 2B is the first door. Open the Door app, tap Unlock, and you have ten seconds before it locks again. No key, no code to remember.
How Things Work.
The lights and shades run from the HomeView on the bedside table. You can also use the Home app on your phone or ask Siri on the HomeView.
Wi‑Fi
There's also a Thunderbolt cable between the bed and the bedside table. Plug a laptop in for 2.5 Gbps up and down.
Apple Home
If you have an iPhone, I'll add you to the apartment's Home app for your stay. That's what makes the lights come on when you arrive and lets you run the shades from your phone. Accepting the invite is two taps; here are both ways.
Nothing there? Open Settings, tap your name at the top, tap iCloud, tap See All, and make sure Home is on. Then look again.
The invite comes from stratford@icloud.com. It may say "Unknown Sender." That's me.
Accepted but still see your own home? Tap the three dots, then tap Camp Horatio to switch.
Still nothing? Text me. It's usually a two-minute fix on my end, not yours.
Music
Three Sonos speakers: one on the table, one set in the ceiling, and the Teenage Engineering. Stream anything from your phone by AirPlay. Keep it moderate; the neighbors are close.
To stop everything at once, open the Apple Home app and tap the Stop Music scene.
Lights
They're automated and they behave. Change them any of these ways:
- The HomeViewOn the bedside table.
- SiriAsk HomeView for a scene by name.
- Your phoneThe Home app, once you've accepted my invite.
- The wallThe wall switches work too.
Please don't unplug lamps or switch them off at the lamp.
Scenes worth knowing:
Shower
Three knobs. Left turns the water on and off. Middle sets temperature, left for hotter. Right switches between the rain head and the hand shower.
Crack the window while you shower. Afterward, squeegee the floor, close the window, and set the AC to Dry for a while.
Shades
Two layers: sheer and blackout. There's no cord to pull. Use the HomeView, the Home app, or Siri.
The Hunter Douglas pebble remote in the bedside table works too: press All, then Open or Close.
The toilet
It's a Toto. The seat is heated and the panel on the wall runs the bidet. First time? Here's the guide.
Prefer paper? Extra rolls are on the third shelf in the closet.
Coffee and the kitchen
Nespresso and capsules, an electric kettle, cups, glasses, plates, silverware, a cocktail kit, strong drinks, and a wine opener. The Miele microwave works; the cooktop doesn't, on purpose. No gas hookup, because I don't cook. There's no cookware or pantry.
A dish scrubber and extra dish soap are in the pull‑out trash cabinet in the kitchenette.
Lots of restaurants within a five‑minute walk. For groceries, Gourmet Garage on Hudson.
Air conditioning
The window unit; use the controls on the unit itself. For real cold, turn off Eco mode and put the fan on high.
Charging
A loaner power bank and USB‑C fast chargers with cables. Look on or in the bedside table, and next to the dining table.
Laundry and linens
Fresh sheets, pillowcases, and towels are in the crates on the third closet shelf. For wash‑and‑fold, ABC Dry Cleaners & Laundromat is nearby.
Trash and recycling
Both go in the rear courtyard. Take the key with the poop emoji from the top‑right kitchen cabinet so you can get back in.
Spare soap
Aesop hair and body wash: extras are on the top‑left kitchen shelf. Use the walnut stool to grab them.
Dish soap and the dish brush: pull‑out pantry below the sink.
Out the Door.
You're one block from Meatpacking, the High Line, and the Whitney, and two from the river. The rest of the city is a short train.
Everything I'd send a friend to do.
Swipe the neighborhood.
If you only do a few things
- PastisLunchOn Gansevoort. Sit outside if you can.
- The Golden SwanDinnerBook ahead.
- Fabrique BakeryMorningCinnamon buns. Go early.
- MamanCoffee800 Washington, half a block.
- The High LineWalkEntrance at Gansevoort and Washington. Walk north.
- The WhitneyArtAt the foot of the High Line. The terraces alone are worth it.
- Little IslandSunsetTwo blocks west, on the river. It faces the right way.
- AIRE Ancient BathsSoakTribeca. Candlelit pools in an old textile factory. Book ahead.
Getting around
The A, C, E, and L are at 14th and 8th; the 1, 2, 3 at 14th and 7th. Set up Express Mode on your iPhone so you can tap through the turnstile without unlocking.
Before you land
The Camp Horatio playlist. Hit shuffle on the way in from the airport.
House Notes.
Quiet
The building is from the 1890s and the walls act like it. Music at a reasonable level, inside voices after nine, shoes off at the door, and keep it down in the hallway coming and going. Noise complaints are the one thing that could stop me from sharing Camp Horatio.
You're my guest
The building doesn't allow short‑term rentals and I don't rent. My neighbors know friends stay when I'm away. If anyone asks, tell them we're friends and you're staying for free. It's the truth.
Food and drink
Help yourself to whatever is available; replace what you finish.
Cleaning
Supplies are in the pull‑out pantry in the closet. A wipe‑down of the bathroom, the table, and the kitchenette counter is plenty. Nothing harsh on the stone.
The floors are the robot's job. Text me when you're heading out, or mid‑stay if they need it, and I'll run the vacuum and mop from my phone.
Leaving
Strip the bed and drop the linens in the pull‑out hamper in the closet, then make it up with the spare set from the third shelf. Grab the poop‑emoji key from the upper‑right kitchen cabinet and take the trash down to the rear courtyard. Lock the door behind you and send me a text.
Staying a while?
If you're here more than a few days and want a proper clean, text me and I'll book Viviana. She's excellent, she needs about a week's notice, and it's $200.