How to find a New York homestay
Definition of homestay
Your average homestay involves living with a local family, often for a 'per-night' or 'per week' fee, in order to experience a country's culture, cuisine and general way of life. Traditionally, homestays have always been highly popular amongst young people studying or working abroad, but they're increasingly being considered as an accommodation option by more and more types of traveler.
Interaction with the homestay family
The amount of communication and interaction you might have with your New York homestay family can vary widely. In the planning stages, check what to expect. Find out how much time they typically spend with any of their previosu homestay guests. This will give a good indication. Sometimes, a guest is involved in almost every aspect of host family life (joining in on family events, eating meals with them). In other instances, they may let you get on and do your own thing. You have your own room and are free to come and go as you please.
Location
Before you book a homestay, determine in advance where it is located in relation to the New York metro stations or bus routes. Easy access to public transport will make life a lot easier for your visit. If you will be in New York to do a language course, check what public transportation lines connect the homestay to the school. To see a subway map, click here. LINK
Other Guests
Who else will be staying at the homestay while you are there? This can also have an influence on whether or not you have a good homestay experience. Will you be sharing a room or other communal spaces with them? Will that be smoking or non-smoking? Ask in advance. Also, check if other guests are likely to be the same nationality as you. You might prefer not to be at a homestay with someone from the same country as you.
Meals
Most homestay accommodation is available with some or all meals provided. If the accommodation is 'half-board', this means 'an arrangement in which they provide bed and breakfast and an evening meal (dinner), but no meal for lunch'. If you see the term 'Continental breakfast', this means a light breakfast, probably uncooked. Typical continental breakfast might be coffee plus a muffin and a piece of fruit. Some homestays might be self-catering. Where meals are included, you should expect meals provided to be healthy and nutritious.
Airport transfer
Some homestay families provide pick up and drop off services. This is known as 'airport transfer'. Typically, there will be a charge for each direction. (You might only want to picked up at the airport when you arrive, but you would like to make your own plans for departure) If arranging to be picked up at the airport, ask the homestay family contact person to hold a sign with your name.
Faciliites
Depending on the type of homestay you book, you can expect to have a private room with a window and a clean comfortable bed with bed linen, a desk with reading lamp and a chair. There should be storage space available for your clothing, perhaps in a closet. A more elaborate and luxurious homestay might include a TV with DVD player, a music stereo, sofa, armchair, coffee table, fireplace. For homestays, you will normally share the bathroom with the host family, though sometimes your room might have its own private bathroom (which is known as 'en suite'). If the bathrooms are shared with other guests, you could normally expect that it not be shared by more than 2 other guests.
Normally, the rate you are paying would include any necessary utilities such as heating costs or use of air-conditioning, but it is always good to check this beforehand. Also interesting to know, especially in the colder times of year: can you control the heating yourself so you can regulate the temperature within your own private rooms. If there is internet access available, this will often be included in the price. If there are other homesta guests present besides you, you can expect to access the internet on a shared computer in the common area. If there is no computer available for you to use, you might need to have your own laptop with you and use wireless. You might need to ask the host for a password to access their wireless internet.
Insurance
Finally, international guests may be well-advised to purchase sufficient insurance in advance to cover all eventualities. Knowing that you are covered against misadvanetures such as illness, accident, theft, cancellation charges can give you the peace of mind to ensure you have a more pleasant homestay experience in New York.
Looking for a room in New York? Check our accommodation