House

Overview of the House & Apartment

The 2- bedroom furnished basement apartment is located in a private two-family house in the Clason Point neighborhood of the East Bronx. The apartment has one bathroom with shower, washer/dryer, full kitchen (including oven), small living room with full-size futon, and private entrance with direct access to our private garden which we named, The Vernal Leaves garden. The master bedroom has an additional Murphy bed (full-size) that can sleep, two adults. The WiFi network information and password are located in the kitchen by the window sill. Both bedrooms have queen-size beds and cable TV. Unfortunately, the driveway is not for rent nor is it included in the rental. There is plenty of on-street parking in the front and in the back of the house on Soundview Avenue.

The Apartment

The living room area contains an electric fireplace. Although it works, we have a thermostat to control heat located by the fire extinguisher.

The space is cozy, recently renovated certain areas and it is one of only two units in the house that have direct access to the garden. The garden is a special place full of diverse ornamentals surrounding a wooden gazebo where one can easily retreat from too much sun or rain. The garden has over 100 hundred different species of plants creating a special micro-ecosystem within the property. Despite the garden’s urban location, we host a great variety of wildlife. We have seen many species of birds, insects, and mammals. Our property is located in a safe neighborhood in the Bronx.

The main bedroom bed.

The main bedroom’s closet and stairs that lead upstairs to the main floor. (lock is on your side)

Murphy bed, a full-size bed that is disguised as a closet. Simply, open the doors and pull down the bed.

Second bedroom entrance.

Second bedroom

Guest access

The Vernal Path leads to our compost pile.

Guests will have access to the private basement apartment with private entrance. Guests will have private access to the entire garden that is also shared by other house residents. Guests will have access to another main street on the opposite side of the house: Soundview Avenue (additional parking can be found here). Guests will receive complimentary coffee and miscellaneous provisions.

House Manual

House rules and additional local information provided in-house red book (on living room coffee table).
There is cable available and WiFi. (Password located in a glass case by kitchen window & house red book) also, refer to the booking website.
Manually turn freezer’s ice maker on/off. If left on for a long period of time, ice will overflow.
House driveway is not available for rent or use. We do not have street regulations in the neighborhood. There is plenty of street parking as well as access to another main street, Soundview Ave. which guests can access from the back of the house.
See the last section of this page for more detailed information about parking at the Garden House.
Extra towels and washcloths available upon request
Each cable TV remote control is specific to its TV. Use cable remotes ONLY & use the red top power button to turn ON & OFF.
Please recycle and clean up after yourself (no dirty dishes/refrigerator)

HOUSE RULES

Please turn off all lights when not in use to help conserve energy
Please turn off all air conditioners when you leave
All guests must be registered guest
Please recycle: Paper (anything that you can rip), cardboard separately
Plastic, Glass, and Aluminum sorted separately
Styrofoam is NOT recyclable; please dispose of in the trash
Please wash all recyclable containers before putting in the proper bin
Please use washer and dryer thinking of conservation.
Please do NOT attempt to start a bonfire without permission or supervision
Please report any broken items
Please refrain from noise after 11 P.M.
If you do choose to compost (located at the very end of the Vernal Path), only greens, coffee grounds, and egg shells.
NO fats, seeds, cooked foods, meats, or dairy in the compost

Check-in

You can do a self-check-in. The Garden House now has a smart door lock. Before you arrive, we will send you (via text) your personal 4-digit code* to open the front door.

To open the door, activate the lock by pressing the Yale logo. After you see the lock illuminate, introduce the 4-digit code you received followed by the ‘check mark (√) in the lower right side.

We are more than happy to give you an orientation of the property if you prefer a more personal welcome. There is usually someone that is present to welcome you to the house throughout the day and evening. If you are arriving after hours and would like to have one of us welcome you, please simply make a request. Check-in is at 3 PM and check-out is at 12 PM.

* The Door code will expire upon your check-out.

Upon arrival:

Walk down the driveway underneath the pergola pass the wooden gate.

Make a right and head down the stairs. You will see a primary white iron door (should be unlocked). The smart lock is on the second door.

Entrance Light Switches

The light switches above are found just to the right of the front entrance into the listing.

The first dimmer switch: controls the light of the living room space (the first room you will encounter at the entrance)

To the right of the dimmer switch: controls the floodlight on the path into the basement apartment that works with a motion sensor. Sometimes strong winds can activate the light as well.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO SWITCH THIS LIGHT OFF WHEN YOU LEAVE.
See the floodlight above.

The switch closest to the entrance door: controls the light at the entrance of the apartment.
PLEASE HELP US CONSERVE ENERGY BY NOT LEAVING THIS LIGHT ON WHEN NOT NEEDED.

Safety

The smoke detector and the thermostat are located above the fire extinguisher in the kitchen by the laundry room door near the refrigerator. The thermostat should be of interest mostly during the colder months (Oct.-Apr.)

If the thermostat is locked and you would like to change the normal temperature, please let us know and we will unlock.

Emergency Exits

If you should need an alternative emergency exit, the staircase found in the main bedroom leads to the main floor (private apartment) where there you will find the exit through the front of the house.

Parking

The Garden House is sandwiched in between the two main throughways of the neighborhood. Parking is permitted on White Plains Road and on the adjacent/parallel street, Soundview Avenue (accessed through the back of the house in the garden) without any restrictions. Most sectors of New York City have alternate side regulations or meters in the residential neighborhoods but Clason Point doesn’t have these restrictions.

The house is to the left on the picture above. This is main avenue, White Plains Road.

This is the main avenue accessed behind the house, Soundview Avenue. The entrance to the Garden is to the right by the green wall.

We highly recommend that you always try to find parking on White Plains Road but if you cannot find parking or would prefer to park on Soundview avenue, you will need the key to a lock.

To access the house from Soundview Avenue.
Take the lock key located on a mounted key holder to the right of the apartment entrance just above the light switch.

The key to the lock to open the chain to the door out to Soundview Avenue.

Take the key with you in case you arrive during a time when parking may be more competitive (after 7 P.M. on weekdays)

The door out to Soundview Avenue just behind the garden gazebo.

Please make sure that you maintain the chain around the fence and lock every time you use the door. Thank you!