Have you ever had an itch for an adventure? An adventure like packing your things and leaving your hometown for a month or two and experience living somewhere else? Well if you do and if that “somewhere else” place is New York City, you are in luck. 1871 House offers attractively furnished apartment rentals for short term rentals and extended stays on the Upper East side of Manhattan, New York, New York.
Tucked among gorgeous townhouses and other historic buildings between Park and Lexington Avenues, the historic turn-of-the-century brownstone townhouse brings style and easy access to the busy city. The gated townhome offers stylish apartment-style accommodations a couple of blocks from Central Park, Madison Avenue shopping and Manhattan’s finest restaurants and cafes. The generously sized apartment-suites are housed within a 5-story classic 1870’s era brownstone on an inviting residential street.
The apartments feature amenities such as fully equipped kitchens, quality linens and a mix of antiques and quality reproduction furniture. 1871 House apartments look and feel like a sophisticated English bed and breakfast.
So elegant, so historic and so New York. I was so piqued with interest of who is behind this stunning brownstone townhouse that I decided not only to feature this B&B but also to ask the owner Lia Raum a little bit about herself and how she got started with 1871 House.
Please tell me about yourself and how did you decide to own this stunning brownstone townhouse?
I am a lifelong New Yorker! After college (Barnard), I spent part of one summer traveling with a friend. We made a point of staying in these charming B&Bs and small inns. One place we stayed in was the Beekman Arms Inn in Rhinebeck NY. I fell in love with the fireplaces and characterful rooms. We also traveled through Natchez Mississippi and stayed in some old plantation homes which offered plenty of rich American history and beautiful stately rooms. I remember having breakfast with the owners who served grits and eggs in these grand old dining rooms. These once in a lifetime experiences made an indelible impression on me.
As a young adult out of college living in NYC, I lived in several different neighborhoods including the Upper East Side in a charming old walk-up apartment building. Old houses intrigued me and I dreamed of one day owning one. And so it goes!
In our early thirties, after just having our first child, we embarked on the challenge of purchasing a Townhouse in the East 60s of Manhattan. Of course, buying the townhouse was a major challenge in itself financially but my husband and I manage to scrape together enough money, piecing together the last bit of financing with credit cards. Buying the brownstone was only part of the challenge. The other challenge was to figure out how to pay the ongoing overhead, which in NYC is quite a challenge. NYC taxes the crap out of you! Renting the apartments as regular apartments could never cover the substantial bills. That’s when 1871 House, an NYC style B&B, was born, putting together my experiences of staying in B&Bs and my passion for old buildings. The timing was just right in that the internet was just starting to be popular (this was around 1998).
My family and I ran the 1871 House as an NYC B&B for many years. I loved decorating the apartments with antiques and beautiful quilts. We had many devoted fans throughout the years from throughout the world including many artists like painters and opera singers. Many of the opera singers would stay at our house while they were performing at Carnegie Hall!
In its current incarnation, the house offers 4 apartments for extended stays (30-day minimum). It attracts many interesting people from around the country and world who need to spend time in NY for on a limited temporary basis. Of course, the apartments continue to have the same design aesthetics – offering a combination of Ralph Lauren and Shabby Chic.
Have a look at the inside of 1871 House and gardens. I also included winter shots of 1871 House and Upper East Side neighborhood (just because NYC covered in snow is something worth seeing).
For more information please visit 1871 House. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
