Jane Darling House

The photos and the descriptions sure don't do this place justice. It was absolutely beautiful! The room I stayed in, Serenity, provided just that! I really enjoyed the proximity to all of the important landmarks in Harlem and to Central Park. The room was really clean, as well as the bathrooms. Jane does a great job of recommending things to see and do, and places to eat. When I go back to New York, I will definitely repeat the Jane Darling House!

We stayed (my wife, our daughter and me) 6 nights in Amber room and we globally loved the place. The best points are (1) the location: Harlem is safe and animated, 2 subway lines and a train at walking distance, 15 mn from Time Square; (2) the house which is a gorgeous stone house with a stunning main room that you can use to relax with a book, (3) confortable large room; (4) Jane is always available to answer your questions; (5) B&B attitude of the guests with nice talks at breafast time to share experiences. Few negative points : (a) 3 levels of stairs to climb to reach the rooms, (b) no external sign (a bit scary at arrival, we had to call the phone number to get the door opened and be welcomed by Jane, (c) no locks on room doors, you have to trust on other guests honesty, (d) electrical plugs were not working in the room (only the plug in the bathroom had to be shared to load batteries of our electronics), (e) the Amber room is somehow noisy as located on street side (too many emergency vehicules circalating in New York). Freshly prepared breakfast is nice, could be improved proposing break and a toster for those who do not like the proposed unique plate.

Let me first start by saying that this house exceeded our expectations and then some. As some of the other reviewers commented on, Jane was an EXCELLENT innkeeper and yes, this is a one woman operation. Our group of 13 rented out the entire house and stayed for about four days. Unfortunately, we did not take advantage of the breakfast option but Jane did allow us to purchase groceries and fully use the kitchen as our own. The rooms were EXACTLY as advertised online and everything was beautiful. The common area of the dining/living room was perfectly functional for our group. Jane was always available for any questions we had about the area. She was so warm and accommodating that we felt like she was a part of our family. Also, Harlem is NOT scary or dangerous at all! There are lots of nice restaurants around the corner and the subway is within walking distance. I would recommend this place to EVERYONE! Can't wait to stay here again!

In NYC, you can stay in run-down low amenity hotels for more $$ than staying at Jane Darling House. Don't do it! Jane Darling House rooms are large, clean, with deliberate, unique decor. Our room (Amber) was spacious with comfy beds and a nice bathroom with a large shower. Jane is very sweet, hospitable and professional. She makes a lovely breakfast and even made a breakfast sandwich for us one morning when we had to leave before breakfast. The rooms do not have locks on the doors, but we never felt at risk of having our privacy invaded. Support this burgeoning small business!

I spent five nights at the Jane Darling House. It's a one-woman operation, and Jane is great. Two breakfasts were quiches, one was French toast, two were very high-quality Continental, always with fresh juice or smoothies, French press coffee, and teas. Rooms are cool, but there's no lift, so be prepared to climb stairs. Likewise, Jane is unlikely to enter your room while you're there, so there's no "maid service" in the hotel-sense (which is fine with me). I felt completely safe--125th street is a major thoroughfare, quick access to subway lines and bus lines, and Harlem is cool. Oh yes, bring your own soap and shampoos. This is the best deal in Manhattan, by far.

We so enjoyed our stay with Jane Darling. Our room was larger than a typical NYC studio apartment, and the hospitality outstanding. Highly recommend.

Dear Jane, Thank you for: 1) The warm late night welcome. 2) The beautiful and peaceful house. ( Slept really well) 3) The delightful breakfast. 4) The white sheets ;) 4) Basically taking care of us. 5) Most importantly for being a gracious host. Our next vacation is in August and we hope to be seeing you then. We had a great stay. Until next time. B & J

We stayed in the Serenity room and it was beautiful, so peaceful and with a fantastic bed. There are still no locks on the door, which really is a bit strange. The bathroom we shared with another couple was also very nice, and once you got to meet them at breakfast it wasn't strange sharing the bathroom anymore. One thing I reacted to was that when we came back in the afternoon, the doors to our rooms was wide open. Don't know why and I never asked, actually (should have). Jane was nice, very quiet and withdrawn. She made a very nice breakfast, one day a type of hash the other day an omelette. We got bread and jam, and one morning a freshly squeezed juice. I'm a big eater and would have wanted more vegetables, more tea (one pot wasn't enough for two people), some fruit etc. The main room was fantastic, something you only dream about. Had we had time, it would have been nice to sit down and read. Maybe get some afternoon tea? I've read that it's offered, but we never heard anything about that.

Jane is a superb hostess! Very friendly and helpful. Atmosphere was great and the breakfast was wonderful. Jane makes a fresh and delicious breakfast every morning. From pancakes to croissants and homemade juice. The Scarlett room is tiny but nice and clean. The building itself is spacious and cosy at the same time. Location is perfect with two metro stations within a 5 minute walk. Harlem itself is great as well, we met the most helpful and friendly people there. For an affordable and cosy stay at a great location: go to the Jane Darling House!

We stayed at Jane Darling House for six nights on our first visit to NYC. It is a truely wonderful place to stay; the Victoria room is absolutely stunning and so spacious, Jane was a fantastic host and will happily advise and assist you with making plans, where to go etc. Breakfast was also great and it was lovely to have something different every day and sharing breakfast with the other guests was really nice. The house is on a main street in Harlem and as two young traveler we felt very safe, although we wouldnt want to 'head too far off the beaten track' so to speak. Excellent location for catching the subway downtown, it only takes 15 mins to reach downtown. When we return to NYC we will definitely stay at jane Darling House! We had a fabulous time.

My husband and I stayed here last week. I recently have been in some accidents, so I was a bit handicapped, and Jane was such a gracious host! She helped make my stay extremely comfortable, going above and beyond. It really did feel like home! The location was great too! I was a little nervous about it being in Harlem, but once we got there, we felt safe 100% of the time. I recommend getting a metro card ($29) for unlimited bus and subway use. We had no problem at all getting around and seeing all the sights. Jane had great suggestions of things to do and the best trains/buses to take. And eat at the Red Rooster and Sylvia's just a block over, GREAT local places!

My husband and I found the Jane Darling House through this very website, and believe me, the pictures do not do it justice! The dining room? HUGE! The kitchen? HUGE! The Bathroom? Bright and HUGE! The bed? COMFY! Breakfast? Quiche, french toast, and all of the peach ginger tea I could drink! Yuuuummmy! Jane herself is really nice and helpful too. It was our first time to NYC and I was unsure about the subway system, but I had a map and Jane showed me which stops were closest, how to get there and back and everything went really smoothly! I will definitely be staying here again! Thank you so much! -Melody

My husband and I spent 5 days during the first week of July in New York and stayed at Jane's. Jane is just lovely and helpful, we very much appreciated her hospitality. The room was very nice and spacious (we stayed at Victoria) with a spacious bathroom (deep bathtub + shower cabin) as well that we enjoyed using. The location is very convenient close to both metro and bus stations, 2 blocks north of Central Park. We could park our car on street for no charge. What can I say more? We enjoyed Jane's breakfast and morning chatting and we will definitely go back for our next New York visit.

I stayed at the Jane Darling House in May 2012 for 6 nights. It was my first trip to NYC with some friends and staying here was a good choice for us. The price was great and the free breakfast was a plus also! It is quite a subway ride to many places in the city but other than that its in a good location. That part of Harlem is really not as run down as some of the other parts. I didn't feel unsafe at all really. Just make sure you don't get off at the wrong subway stop and end up in the run down part of Harlem like we did haha and you will be alright. There was a lot of foreign guests staying at the B&B when we were and I found that to be really cool because you get to meet different people and learn new things. You get to really experience a different culture by coming here, its an entirely different experience than staying in a hotel. I really enjoyed it. Oh and the house is beautiful. All of the rooms are amazingly decorated. Not having locks on the bathroom doors was kind of strange but I got used to it after a few days. Oh and DON'T bring a HUGE suitcase unless you are comfortable carrying it up several flights of stairs. haha that was a mistake I made! But I definitely recommend this place. Jane is very nice and does a good job!

Nous avons séjourné une semaine chez Jane Darling House dans la chambre Victoria qui est très spacieuse et la salle de bains de même. Nous avons beaucoup appréciée. Jane nous a très bien acceuillie et elle est toujours là pour nous renseigner. La chambre d'hôte est très bien située. Il y a des deux côtés des lignes de métro (Lignes 4, 5, 6 et 2,3) 15 à 20 minutes de Time Square. Le quartier est très sûr même tard dans la nuit. Je saurai où me loger quand je reviendrai à New York.

My wife and I loved staying here. Jane was welcoming and helpful. The place was quite and the other guests were quite nice and friendly too.

as beautiful as pictured. Jane is a perfect host. Will be returning and will concider this place to be our only choise in New York.

When i knew i will be heading to NYC, i decided to try out a bed & breakfast house since i've never done that before! I am very particular about lodging especially cleaniness and location, that is why I've always stayed in hotels that are centrally located. I am glad that i picked Jane Darling House as the first B&B to stay in as it was really pleasant. The breakfast makes me feel right at home, the room was cozy and comfy, and Jane is always very helpful. She had to stay up late the night i arrived due to flight delay, yet she was still smiling and reassuring me that its ok... :) Location: Outskirt of Manhattan, but convenient (Left is the subway, right is the rail) Takes no more than 15mins to get to Times Square. Historically, Harlem neighbourhood is a place people avoid, but now, it is very safe. (i booked without knowing the history and friends in NY told me only upon my arrival, but apparently, the New Yorkers doesn't know that the neighbourhood has been cleaned up!) Will i stay there again when i visit NY? Definitely!

We stayed for five nights at Jane Darling House and it was totally worth its value. After our initial hesitation of the loctation being inexperienced visitors to New York the warm greeting from Jane put us at ease. The place is to die for! Our room was spaciuous, comfortable, tastefully decorated and commendably clean. Breakfast served and shared with other guests made it a social and informative occassion, were delicious. The subway a few minutes from the B and B is about fifteen minutes to times square on the express. The neighbourhood is booming with jazz clubs, restaurants and bars. We want to thank Jane for our stay and local tips, she really is a great host and takes care of her guests ( she gave us macaroons and afternoon tea while we were there). We had a really nice time and would love to come back.

On our fourth trip to New York we thought we would try out a different neighborhood, and Harlem was certainly better value than the rest of Manhattan! Jane Darling House seemed really lovely from the pictures, and indeed we were not disappointed at all upon arrival, it is a gorgeous old house, beautifully kept, with meticulously designed comfortable rooms. The owner has a lot of experience in design and it shows! Breakfasts were excellent, however we would have appreciated if she offered to save some breakfast for those who wanted to sleep in past 8 AM, which is not unreasonable on vacation I think! While the decor is impeccable, the practicalities deserve more attention, for example there were candles in the bedrooms but no shampoo or bar soap in the bathroom, we went and bought our own. For our entire stay the handle on the cold faucet was broken off, which made handwashing quite trying, but this issue was never addressed... we didn't mention it. Staying in Harlem was the right choice for us, as we had never had the opportunity to explore the neighborhood. It is full of character, however it is a little rough around the edges and does not always feel safe at night to be honest, compared to staying in downtown NYC. Be prepared that if you are spending most of your time downtown, you will not be able to go back and forth to the B&B throughout the day very easily, it feels like a long ride back and the express trains do not run late at night. The final issue was the owner herself - I do see that many reviewers have felt she was an excellent hostess, however I will have to disagree. She was quite unpredictable with us - at times warm and effusive, at other times brusque and downright unfriendly for no apparent reason. This was probably the main reason I will stay elsewhere next time, but as I have described there are many charms to this B and B that do make it a worthwhile stay.

We just returned from 3 nights in the Victoria room and cannot say enough nice things about our experience. Jane is a wonderful, warm hostess who is easy to chat with and welcomes you to sit and relax with her in the common areas. One of the reasons I love staying at a B&B versus an hotel. She showed us to our room and I was stunned. The room was huge and beautifully appointed. The bathroom was to die for. The bathroom alone is close to the size of a normal NYC hotel room and spa worthy. The mattress was a Temperpedic so we slept well every night. Jane took very good care of us with a delicious breakfast each morning, coffee that puts most coffee bars to shame, ice water when we returned to our room and the most chocolatey brownies I have ever had the joy of tasting. On my way home, I realized I had left several items in the closet and she was more than happy to ship them to me. The location is perfect for those looking to be out of downtown, but within a quick subway ride. I'm not sure why a previous commenter said it took 30 minutes to get downtown. The 4/5 line or the 2/3 line (both express) got us there in 15 minutes. We made it to the southern tip to catch the Statue of Liberty boat in 25 minutes. The 2/3 line is 1 block away and the 4/5/6 lines are 3 blocks. There are highly rated restaurants a 5 minute walk to Malcom X Blvd. Red Rooster is there as well as Sylvia's. We cannot wait to book another stay! You will not be disappointed!

I had the privilege to stay for 5 nights in April 2012. Jane as a designer has renovated the house with old-fashioned and modern styles into a warm and inviting place. All is well-maintained and clean, Jane cooks another splendid breakfast every day, and she has good tips on the city. As soon as you get into a conversation, you don't want to leave the house. She likes to mingle with the guests when they are at home and sometimes even spoils them with the food. By public transportation 42nd St is only 15-20 minutes away and Central Park is closeby. Simply put an unforgettable first stay in NYC!!! I will definitely return there and will recommend it to anyone!

Hi This place is beautiful and very big! (not only by NYC standards) We were very comfortable and we didn't hear any noises from other guests. There were some car noises in the street but this is normal in NYC. It is also very clean and Jane is very nice and helpful. You won't find that great value for this price anywhere else! We found free parking in the street. Don't be turn off by the fact that it is in Harlem.. We were 3 girls and found it very safe even at night. The B&B is located in a very busy/modern area of Harlem. You are at 5 min walk to the subway. You are a 15 min ride away to Time Square. There are also very nice lively bars and restaurants near the B&B that we enjoyed. I will def come back next time im in NYC! Thanks Jane

Beautiful brownstone, all remodeled and updated! Jane was an excellent hostess and very helpful when we had questions. Breakfast every morning was different and tasty. Very affordable and the quality is really good for what you pay for New York accommodations. Subway was very close, a few blocks away. The only downside was it was a little far from downtown Manhattan. (At least 30 minutes, 20 minutes to Time Square)

Our stay at this B&B was excellent, I have to say it was the best B&B I have stayed in for many years and over many countries. I thought the photos on the website were too good to be true but actually they didn't do the house, rooms etc their full justice.. Jane is an excellent Host and breakfast cook, we had something difference every morning, it was fresh, mostly organic and delcious. The rooms super clean, you can have your own bathroom, or share if you prefer, and the decore was wonderful, designer flair The transport links were great to mid-town and down-town and the price is really too good to be true. Thank you Jane for making my first time in NY awsome!

I was initially apprehensive about staying at Jane Darling House because it did not have any reviews. However the price was within our budget so I decided to call for a reservation. Jane was nice and helped us carry our bags up the numerous stairs when we arrived. Breakfast was a delicious treat and it felt more like we were visiting friends. We had a really lovely stay. For the price it is great and we approve. It is worth every penny.

The house is very beautiful and very clean but is still a little bit of a work in progress. We stayed in the Scarlett room,, very cozy it was like a cave. The proximity to transportation made going and coming easy but most of all what great breakfasts Jane made! .