After being with THS nearly 3 years and doing drivable sits within my area of the country, I’m ready to expand my travel to some more touristy cities. Visiting NYC is on my bucket list but debating about going there solo. And after reading various forum posts concerning NYC, now I wonder if it’s even feasible to get a valid, legit sit in a safe, centralized area, or to be selected at all as an outsider flying into the city. As a first-time visitor, I have no idea where the best areas are as far as location or names of neighborhoods, etc. I’ve had only 5 sits so far, all 5-star reviews, and a good to great experience with all. I’d love to do the same with a NYC sit. I’ve been favoriting and searching various sits but it’s somewhat overwhelming. Would appreciate advice and suggestions on obtaining a decent, enjoyable NYC sit. TIA
NYC native and host here. Researching neighborhoods in NYC is something you should do before you apply to sit here. The best way to insult a potentional host is to suggest that their neighborhood isn’t up to your standards. It’s going to be hard to know exactly what neighborhood some sits are in because the THS mapping app is very vague, and not all listings state the neighborhood. Neighborhood isn’t that important frankly as NYers are big walkers and also use mass transit. Neighborhoods except for a few very touristy ones don’t offer “everything” so anyone seeing the city will visit different places.
My suggestion would be you look for sits in NYC the same as sits anywhere else: You look for pet responsibilities that will work for you. You look at the photos for decent space. You check the reviews to make sure other sitters had a good time. Then you check for some other stuff like proximity to mass transit and/or if outside of Manhattan, the time it will take to get to Manhattan.
Some of the things you might find that are different here: Nobody is going to have parking for you and you shouldn’t bring a car. Many apartments, even nice ones, may only have shared washing machines in the basement, garbage disposals are rare, many apartments won’t have dishwashers, and hte chances of sleeping in “the guest room” are highly unlikely.
There are lots of “legit” sits here. But they are competitive. Most of the sitters I’ve spoken to are excited about coming to the city. Many used to live here or have been here before. As a host, if someone was ambivalent about being here or asking questions about the neighborhood, I’d just assume my very diverse building wouldn’t work for them.
Thanks for your response. I appreciate the info very much. From what I’ve gathered, the closer I am to the Manhattan area the better. Also, checking profiles where it’s states like 1-2 subway stops away from a desired location to visit or a short distance via uber. I’ve also been googling neighborhood names, etc… I just read a profile for an area called Dumbo. That one really threw me a curve lol But, you’re right, I should approach any potential NYC city as I would any other. That’s why I Favorite desired possibilities and commence my background check from that point on. So once I apply I’m confident in my choice to do so. It’s just with NYC being so vast and unknown. I probably just need to do more research in general in regard to pointers in visiting NYC for the first time. As long as I don’t have to utilize intercity transportation a long distance to see any interesting sites NYC has to offer, I’m good. The last thing I’d want to do is to get lost in NYC! ha
The Christmas + New Year’s season was actually your best shot at getting good NYC sits — there were a fair number going unclaimed (and still being posted) even as the holidays drew near. If you’re willing to wait a year, that probably would be the lowest effort way to land a good location. Otherwise, keep refining your profile and application as you apply, because typically NYC sits in good locations are very competitive.
It’s very easy to navigate. Manhattan which is where most (but not all) of the major museums and attractions are is mostly a grid and there are enough tall buidlings and rivers so that you can easily keep track of north, south, east and west. People can get confused on the subway, but there are good articles and tips for using the subway that can prevent that. New Yorkers are ridiculously helpful and eager to give you directions when you are lost.
You are right that you either want to stay in Manhattan or in a neighborhood probably in Brooklyn or Queens that is near Manhattan. For instance, Long Island City and Woodhaven are two neighborhoods in Queens. Long Island City is about 10 minutes from midtown by subway. Woodhaven is about an hour or so by some combination of bus and subway. Google maps is your friend. Once you know the neighborhood the sit is actually in, I’d go to google maps and find the time from that place to a landmark like Times Square via mass transit. You could stay in some New Jersey towns that have fast bus service into Manhattan but then you’d have to take the subway and getting where you want to go coud still take more than an hour. It is NOT impossible to get a NYC sit.
Solo, female, Canadian sitter here. I took the subway and bus, including in the evening to get home after shows, and never felt unsafe (there were just so many people on the line I took, even at 11 at night). I walked all over the place in Manhattan, top to bottom, and a bit of Brooklyn: Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights, Prospect Park. I admit it was overwhelming in the beginning and there were definitely some sketchy people at times (but same as at home). All part of the experience.
I was contacted by a HO whose sit I’d favourited so I can’t offer any advice on securing a sit; just wanted to offer some assurance that it’s a great place to visit as a solo sitter. I had already given up on getting a NYC sit after the five-application limit made it impossible for me to even apply for any suitable sits so I feel really lucky to have had the chance.
A sense of safety is subjective to some degree. I’ve never felt unsafe in NYC or other U.S. cities, or even while traveling solo in the Mideast or Africa, but of course crime can happen and it’s important to take precautions and stay situationally aware.
Places that tourists frequent in NYC are typically safe. If you’re planning to visit such sights, take normal precautions, but that’s the kind of thing that many of us do anyway, with living in major metro areas in the U.S., for example.
In NYC vs. many U.S. cities, you’re more likely to get pick pocketed, simply because so many people are walking around and it’s crowded in various places, including the subway at times. It helps to keep on your toes for that sort of thing and to keep some money and credit cards separate, in case, especially when traveling solo.
When in NYC, I usually walk way more than I normally do. Also take the subway, buses, cabs and ride shares.
I’ve never had a problem during visits over decades.
Pick pocketing isn’t that much of thing here. Much more likely in a European city – Paris, Barcelona, etc. But there are things New Yorkers know not to do. Never leave your bag hanging on the back of a chair at a restaurant. Never leave your device unattended for even a minute at a cafe. The subways are another issue. Generally, there’s safety in numbers and they are almost crowded, but there are lot of unhoused emotionally disturbed people living in the subway system and this is a real concern. There have been some high profile incidents of people being pushed on to subway tracks and these are worrisome for real NYers, not just tourists. However, I’d still advise people to take the subway because it’s the fastest and easiest way to get around, but to be alert, and never get anywhere close to the platform edge until the train has actually pulled into the station.
In many wasy it’s ideal for solo travels, and even older travelers: You don’t need a car. There is mass transit. There are sidewalks so if you’re a walker, you can walk a lot, While a lot of museums are expensive, there is a lot of free stuff to do here. There are a variety of activities.
The thing is there is no itinerary where you are going to be a short walking distance from “everything” in NYC. There is a “museum mile” but it doesn’t include MoMa, or the Museum of Natural History, or The Whitney. Taxis and ubers are expensive even for very short distances as you pay when they are stuck in traffic or behind traffic lights.
Relative to other US-cities, NY continues to be quite safe overall. But I think referring to it as a “touristy” place per the OP would rub many NYers the wrong way. For most people who live here, it’s home. There are tourists here and some neighborhoods that attract a lot of tourists, but the vast majority of people here are not tourists and aren’t making a living serving tourists. It’s not particularly tourist friendly as tourists are often literally in the way. For instance, New Yorker’s often have to walk a few blocks to get to places even if they take the train or bus. We are notoriously fast walkers, so when a group of tourists stop dead in the middle of a sidewalk to look at a map, or chat, or look up at a building, we’re not happy about it.
It’s not a “touristy place.” the way a beach town that swells in the summer is. It’s a big city with a lot for visitors to see. But it’s really set up like a series of interconnected small towns each unique and with its own style.
New Yorkers themselves aren’t necessarily targeted for pickpocketing, but tourists are more likely to be. Nothing compared to parts of Europe, but more so than in the rest of the U.S., because density makes it possible. By contrast in most U.S. cities, we don’t usually get close enough to people to get pickpocketed.
The pushing on the subway tracks has happened occasionally over the years, but of course doesn’t happen frequently enough that they’ve built preventative measures, as some cities have for subway track suicide jumpers. But personally, I always stand with my back to a wall when waiting for the subway anywhere, as a safety measure in general.
There’s usual crime, like someone I know had their purse stolen in NYC while trying on clothes at a department store — someone lifted it from a hook in the dressing room while she was unaware. But that sort of thing can happen anywhere if you don’t mind your stuff, whether in restaurants, public toilets or such. I’d consider that a standard precaution in any city.
I think that you can just transparently ask the homeowner where they are located and what the nearest subway stations are. I am a NYC homeowner and I am always entirely transparent about my neighborhood and how interconnected it is. NYC tends to be pretty well connected by public transport.
I would gladly accept someone with five 5-star sits and tend to prefer people from out of town to give them a chance to see the city, I don’t think that’d be an issue at all. But I will say that applications for NYC sits fill extremely quickly so be prepared to hit the apply button as soon as you see something come up.
In terms of safety, yes it is undeniable that there’s a slight uptick in crime and that tourists are often the target, but as long as you keep your wits about you and don’t “act like a tourist”, I don’t think you need to be concerned. NYC is an amazing and fun city and you are sure to have a good time.