FAQ Answers
What is Sara’s New York Homestay’s mission statement?
Sara's New York Homestay is dedicated to provide a "home away from home " to foreign students or visitors staying in New York, LA, London and Paris for a short time at affordable prices and without all the difficulties of finding housing in a very tight housing market and dealing with real estate agents.
What Sara’s New York Homestay actually provides:
We provide nice pleasant private rooms with welcoming families in good and safe neighborhoods in all boroughs of New York City: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan and The Bronx. We provide similar service in LA, London and Paris. Breakfast is provided. Dinners must be ordered separately. In our application form, students are invited to state their preferences as to the borough, the neighborhood, the kind of family (with or without children), dietary restrictions, allergies, etc. etc. so that we can more closely match, as much as we possibly can, the desire of the students with the available homestay. We guarantee that all private rooms will have a bed, a desk and a chair, a dresser and a closet. Some rooms might have a private television as well as Internet access.
How long has the company been in operation?
Sara's Homestay actually started about 5 years ago as Sara's Bed and Breakfast offering a bed in private homes for foreign tourists. Our homestay program for international students quickly derived from it. My husband Bernard and I had lived for about 20 years in Brussels, Belgium before we returned to the US in June of 1999. We had hosted many foreign students in Belgium for a number of years, and as we enjoyed our experience very much, we decided that with the housing shortage in New York this would be nice to do. We have a two bedroom two bathroom apartment in the Kensington area of Brooklyn, and we regularly host foreign students in our home as well. As we went along, we stated to offer similar service in LA, London and Paris. We work there with trusted associates who screen families according to our standards.
How many people work in the company?
Basically, it is Bernard and myself that are running the show. Our assistant Shameeka Patterson is quite knowledgeable, and we are proud to have added an American Japanese assistant Ariko Ikehara who is in charge of all relationships and coordination with host families and students. She is perfectly bilingual Japanese-English, and we are very proud to have added her to our staff. In addition we have a dedicated Japanese driver Toshi Nakamoto.
Bernard is French and speaks several languages fluently. I was born in New York. We are proud to be both multicultural, having lived abroad and traveled extensively throughout the world for many years. This is very helpful with foreign students as we quickly develop a good rapport with them. In the summer season or when things get really busy, we use the services of an extra driver and one or two extra hands for the office.
Where is the company located?
What are some of the international schools you are working with?
We currently work with most English as a Second Language schools. We regularly work with schools such as Kaplan International, Berlitz, Zoni Language Centers, Language Studies International, Katharine Gibbs, Accent on Languages, New York Language Center, Rennert Bilingual and ALCC. We also work with Pratt University, Hunter College, NYU, Brooklyn Polytechnic, Pace University, and CUNY who refer us when their domestic or international students require homestays. We work also with a number of vocational schools—New York Film Academy, Broadway Dance Center, Peridance Center, French Culinary Institute, Christian Nail School and a number of computer and beauty schools. We also work directly with a number of overseas "study abroad agents" who appreciate our outstanding personal service and very quick response to all their inquiries and bookings.
Could you provide us with references?
Yes, we will be pleased to give you references both of the schools we work with and also from the hundreds of students who have used our services and with whom we are still in touch.
How many homestays do you have?
We currently have about 300 homestay families working with us located in all boroughs of New York City. We are adding on new homestays all the time and hope to reach 350/ 400 homestays during 2004/05 season. In LA, London and Paris we have about 120 families in each location.
Are the prices the same for all homestays?
Most of our homestays in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx are priced at $225.00 per week for a minimum of 4 weeks. Prices for Manhattan homestays, particularly in the fashionable areas such as Chelsea, Village, Tribeca, Upper East & West Side, and in the old historic section of Brooklyn ( Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights etc.) usually run at $337.50.50/week for a minimum of 4 weeks. These are often booked a long time in advance. Please let us have your requirements as soon as possible. We will give you an offer by return for the homestays available in these areas at the time of your stay in New York, and we will do our best to accommodate you. Please ask us for offers for LA, London and Paris homestays. We will reply immediately. We are also able to book homestays for you in all areas of the US. We know a lot of people, and we can help you.
Where are the majority of the homes located?
As mentioned above, we have homestays in all 5 boroughs of New York City: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, The Bronx and Manhattan. In LA, we have families in West LA, LA county, the Valley, orange, San Bernardino county and the Riverside area.
How are host families selected?
We look for families living in nice and safe residential neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and The Bronx. All should be within proximity to public transportation. We inspect the rooms for cleanliness and tidiness and get a good feeling as to whether the home atmosphere is thoroughly welcoming and the attitude is positive from each member of the family. If we feel some conflicts within the family or everyone is not absolutely positive, we decline to use these homes as homestays. We work with the same host families again and again and an atmosphere of trust and friendship has quickly developed over the years. This has resulted in outstanding quality of homestays and a real "home away from home" for our students. We work in a similar fashion in LA, London and Paris.
How often are rooms in host family homes inspected?
We will come unexpectedly from time to time. Both the students and the hosts obtain a copy of the guidelines governing the relationship between them. We invite the student to call us immediately should there be any breach of the agreement. We usually speak to the students several times during their stay as well as to their respective schools so as to get sufficient feedback.
What criteria do you use when the rooms are inspected?
The house, apartment and rooms where the students live must be "impeccable" as they say in French. We will not accept a home that is untidy or dirty. We don't necessarily give the "white glove test," but the general appearance and surrounding must be outstanding.
Can I choose the neighborhood?
In your application, please specify if you require certain boroughs such as Brooklyn, Queens or Manhattan, and in LA please specify the town or where you will be traveling on a daily basis and we will advise what homes will be available at the time of your stay. In London as prices vary according to the distance to central London, please specify the zone that you would like to live in. In Paris we work with families living in Paris proper only. As mentioned, you are invited to state your preferences as to the borough, the neighborhood, the kind of family (with or without children), dietary restrictions, allergies etc. so that we can more closely match, as much as we possibly can, the desire of the students with available homestay.
What are the meal arrangements?
The host family provides a simple continental breakfast. This consists of coffee, tea or milk, toast, butter or cream cheese and jam. As many people work, students are expected to prepare their own breakfast if schedules with the host family do not coincide. For other meals, refrigerator space is provided as well as light cooking or the use of the microwave is allowed. Sometimes arrangements are made in advance with the host families to prepare supper every evening or several times a week. Meals are invoiced separately.
Can I use my laptop computer to check my email?
Most families only have one phone line so that the use of the phone line should be reduced to a minimum. There are many cyber cafes in New York, LA, London and Paris and prices to surf the Internet are really very cheap so that if you need a heavy use of your computer, it is better to use the cyber cafes. In the last year there have been a number of public places that offer for free or for a small fee, wireless connection. For longer term students (3 months or more) with the permission of the host family, a separate telephone line can be ordered in your name and a DSL line or cable high speed connection can be ordered. You will have to pay for the installation cost and the monthly fees. Please let us know your needs in advance, and we will do our best to organize it for you.
Could you organize that evening meals be taken together with the host family?
We do have some host families that are able to provide evening meals. Most of our students prefer to buy ready-made cooked food and eat whenever they wish without adhering to the schedule of the family. Food is usually very affordable and plentiful. There are many inexpensive restaurants, fast food outlets and take out prepared food in all neighborhoods, and they stay open very late if not 24 hours per day. Supermarkets also offer frozen prepared food, and the families will certain allow you to prepare simple meals for yourself and use the kitchen. (Don't forget to clean-up afterwards.)
What if I have an allergy to dogs, cats, carpet, etc?
In our application form, you must state if you have any allergies, and we will do our very best to accommodate you and assign you to the families with whom you will have no problems with respect to your allergies.
You mention that you also provide orientation; what does your orientation consist of?
Most students and visitors will go to their destination immediately from the airport. If you have reserved an airport pick-up, please be sure to look for our driver who will have a sign with your name on it. The next day, we will ask you to come to our conveniently located midtown office for orientation.
After the customary welcoming drink or meal, we will offer subway and bus maps, show where to buy a Metro card and show how it works. We will explain the telephone system, show you where to buy prepaid phone cards as well as prepaid cell phones and give briefings as to how to be safe in New York.
Our host families will usually spend extra time with the students, explain how the different appliances work, show him or her around the neighborhood, the subway/bus locations and where the shops, restaurants, library, and other important neighborhood places are located.
We usually follow up with calls or a visit from time to see that all is well and the New York experience is enjoyable. We encourage students to call us if they have any problems or need guidance on certain issues, and we are truly available day and night to answer any questions and resolve any problem students may have. Similar orientation service is provided in LA, London or Paris.
We hear that New York City is dangerous. What is the truth?
During the administration of the past New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani, the city has become much safer and the crime rate has gone down considerably. Nevertheless, as in all major world capitals, proper rules of behavior, particularly on the part of young foreign students who are not experienced with this big city should be adhered to ensure maximum enjoyment of your stay. We will, therefore, explain how to behave in a prudent and safe way in such a big city as New York. We explain that it is best not to carry a lot of money--a credit card and $40/$50 in cash is sufficient. Keep only a copy of your passport with you and leave the original at home. Do not go alone in the evening in secluded places, and if you must come home after 10/11 PM, it is best to take a taxi or a car service. None of the hundreds of students that went through our program has had any safety problem by complying with these very simple rules. In general, as mentioned elsewhere in our web site, our homestays are particularly chosen with the major objective of safety of neighborhoods. The same can be said for LA, London and Paris.