Live like a native New Yorker

Waking at 6 a.m. to the sound of horns honking and garbage-trucks screeching by outside, you realise you desire nothing more than a toasted pumpernickel bagel with cream cheese and lox, a strong cuppa joe (coffee) and the New York Times from the store down the block. Another day has dawned in Manhattan and you're part of it.

Living like a native New Yorker is possible when you book a short-term apartment or a room in a bed and breakfast. Imagine yourself in a funky West Village studio apartment on a tree-lined street dotted with bohemian cafes and cool shops. Or perhaps you'd prefer a grand penthouse on Central Park with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline?

"Business people choose us because they are so tired of the sterile-looking hotel room. They want something more like home, where they're not wondering: which city am I in now?" says Mazelle Habbaz, manager of New York Habitat, a French-owned booking agency and real-estate brokerage.

This type of accommodation also allows tourists to ease into New York's hectic pace through the hospitality of their host and the homeliness of the environment.

"In New York, we live in small spaces but the people here have huge hearts," says Judith Glynn, travel writer and owner of Manhattan Getaways, a sublet and B&B service.

There are two ways of going native: hosted or unhosted accommodation. In B&Bs, a host provides a room in his or her apartment, fresh towels, cleaning services and a continental breakfast each morning. Unhosted sublets mean an apartment belongs to the guest for the duration of the stay. Usually, guests are welcomed by a host who shows them around, then gives them keys and a contact number. "They're going to open up their door and welcome you in. New York is so intimidating but this is a real soft landing," Glynn says.

Julye Garellick from Gothenburg, Sweden goes to New York on business twice a year and always stays in an apartment. "I think it's more convenient than a hotel and you feel at home, you do whatever you want. It's also cheaper. With an apartment, it's easier to meet people and see the city."

Cost can be a major factor in choosing a short-term rental over a hotel, says Habbaz, whose multilingual agents cater to the burgeoning international market. "I think one of the reasons is that people can get more space for less money. In general, our apartments rent for less than a comparable quality hotel room and you can fit more people into an apartment than a hotel room. There's also the convenience of a kitchen and seeing what it's like to live as a New Yorker."

In 1993, Barbro Roth Andersson began subletting one of her studio apartments in midtown Manhattan. Like many in the business today, she just drifted into it.

"I took an apartment next to mine because my daughter was going to move back to New York but then she changed her mind. I had friends in first and they liked it, it's a large studio. Then I called one of the agents and asked `how does this work?' "

The process is fairly straightforward. Interested visitors are matched with listed accommodations based on their preferred neighbourhood, price-range, length of stay and specific preferences. Initial contact with booking services is usually through the Internet, although fax and phone are also popular.

Once the guest decides on a place, booking is secured with a credit card. Some agencies require the entire amount to be paid in advance, others seek only a small portion with the rest paid in cash to the host upon arrival. A refundable security deposit is also required.

Reputable agents protect the interests of both the guests and host. Apartments should be inspected and host interviewed before the place is listed. Guests are vetted by obtaining as much information as possible and securing credit card payment and terms agreement in advance.

For the best possible trip Habbaz advises travellers to: "Do your homework, read a guidebook to learn about NY and its neighbourhoods, look at hotel prices and ask questions."

Rooms Service

At time of writing, the price of a double-occupancy, standard hotel-room in New York ranges from £93 ($129) to more than £215 ($300) a night. In contrast, comparable nightly accommodation in a B&B costs from £72 to £90. Stays in short-term sublet apartments begin with studios at £86 and onebedrooms from £108 to £129. The charge for additional guests is minimal so groups get a real bargain.

Manhattan Getaways, PO Box 1994, NY, NY 10104-1994, tel 001 212 956 2010 fax: 001 212 265 3561, web address: www.manhattangetaways.com.

New York Habitat, 307 Seventh Avenue, Suite 306, New York, NY 10001, tel: 001 212 647 9365, fax: 001 212 627-1416, web address: www.nyhabitat.com.

Urban Ventures, 38 West 32nd Street, Suite 1412, New York, NY, 10001, tel: 001 212 594 5650 fax: (212) 947 9320, web address: www.tnn4bnb.com.