Welcome to Mara's Place — Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

Welcome

Hi — I'm so glad you're here. This place is my home when I'm not traveling, and I've tried to leave it the way I'd want to find it. Take your shoes off when you come in — there's a rack right inside — figure out the kettle, and make yourself comfortable. Everything you need is in this guide. If something's broken, missing, or just plain weird, text me at the number on your booking. I'm usually quick to respond. Bed-Stuy is quiet, full of brownstones like this one, and well worth walking around in. The pages ahead are the things I'd hand you in person if I were here.

Getting in & out

WiFi network

MaraBrooklyn

WiFi password

hibrooklyn2026

Door / key

Door code 4729 (press # at the end — easy to forget). Spare key lockbox is to the left of the door, same code. Open it for the spare key.

Checkout

Checkout at 11am. Leave the keys in the lockbox and close it. No need to text me — I'll see the booking close.

Checkout is at 11am. Leave the keys in the lockbox and close it shut — that's all. No need to text me; I'll see the booking close on my end.

House rules

• No smoking anywhere in the apartment, including the back windows.
• No parties or events. Friends over for dinner is fine — keep it under six people.
• Quiet hours after 10pm. The walls are thin and the neighbors are wonderful.
• Shoes off inside. Use the entry rack by the door.

Mara's local picks

• Saraghina

  Wood-fired pizzeria with a slice window at the front, at 435 Halsey — about 8 minutes on foot. The slice window opens at noon and the dining room behind it is a proper sit-down. If you only do one meal here, do this one.

• Bittersweet

  Coffee on the corner of Throop and Lewis. Opens at 7am. Get there before 9 on a weekend if you want a seat — it's the locals' spot.

• Herbert Von King Park

  The neighborhood's green heart, a 10-minute walk north. Free concerts on Tuesday evenings in summer — bring a blanket and something to drink.

• Peaches HotHouse

  Southern brunch on Halsey Street. Get the fried chicken; it's why people come. Plan for a wait on weekend mornings.

Getting around

The subway is the easiest way around. About 8 minutes on foot to the G train at Bedford-Nostrand; about 6 minutes to the A or C at the Nostrand stop on Fulton. To Manhattan, the A or C gets you downtown in about 20 minutes, midtown in about 30. The G stays in Brooklyn and Queens. Cabs and Lyfts run reliably at all hours. One piece of local wisdom: don't Citi Bike east on Fulton — drivers turning right can't see cyclists and there's no protected lane. Use Halsey or MacDonough instead.

If something goes wrong

Call 911 for medical, fire, or police emergencies. For apartment-specific issues — locked out, leak, no hot water, internet down — text the number on your booking. I respond within about 30 minutes most of the day, slower late at night. Nearest pharmacy is the CVS at Nostrand and Fulton, open until 10pm.

Hospital

Brooklyn Hospital Center

Urgent care

Modern MD Urgent Care, 1232 Fulton St (24/7)