In September 2016, we moved from Australia to work in New York City, returning to Australia in January 2019. We lived at 296 Manhattan Avenue, Morningside Heights, renting two different apartments in the building during that time. 296 Manhattan Avenue became our home away from home and we would highly recommend it to anyone relocating from abroad or out of state.

The lovely brownstone building is ideally located in a safe area, very close to mass transit - both subways and buses, grocery stores, restaurants and cafes. Morningside Park is across the street, Central Park and Columbia University a short stroll.

The building is very secure and well maintained with common areas always kept clean and tidy. Both apartments were light-filled with views of the park and St John the Divine Cathedral. All furniture and appliances were provided, including a washing machine, dryer and wide screen television, along with high speed internet.

Luther, the landlord, is approachable, attentive, hospitable and supportive. He always responded promptly to any problem or issue. Luther was very generous with his time, providing helpful information about living in Manhattan and the neighbourhood, even taking us on a tour of the local supermarkets to ensure our smooth transition to living in NYC.

Luther was a key factor in making our stay in NYC enjoyable. We would highly recommend a stay at 296 Manhattan Avenue. If we were to return to NYC in the future, Luther would be the first person we would contact. (Liz & George, Australia)

This Owner/landlord is stellar ! Luther is a mannerly, courteous gentleman. He more than extended himself to walk me to the newly refurbished subway only 2 blocks away. The apartment is beautiful, huge clean and fully equipped. If you choose his immaculate accommodations, you will know that you have selected a gem!

My experience here has been excellent. The quality and the freshness of the apartment was super. For me, the location was perfect, just a couple of minutes walk to Columbia University campus. I believe I was very lucky picking this place, and I can really recommend it!

I unreservedly recommend this apartment. It is a few minutes walk to Columbia University and the subway station. The buses take you directly to Harlem. It is safe. I would often return home, a woman on my own, past 1am, no problem. Not even a scare. The apartments are clean and very well-maintained. The kitchen equipment in my apartment was top of the line. Best of all, the landlord lives on the ground floor with his lovely family. He was near when I needed him and he always respected my privacy. The time I was in New York was the first time I stayed away from home. I thought I would be lost and miserable, but L and his family became as family to me. When I heard that my old dog had died at home, I was devastated and turned to L who was there to comfort me. Absolutely solid kindness and caring, no intrusion. The guy who helps with repairs, Ed, is a brick. The right place to live at must be top of your agenda. It can be lonely, the place could be pest infested, you might find yourself in a dodgy/sketchy location, and so on. I repeat, think safety first, then convenience and comfort. I think so fondly of my home in NY, I sometimes even pull up the location on the Internet, just to look at it.

My mom and I have lived at Luther’s apartment for six weeks, it was not long but we deeply enjoyed our lives at New York City.
There are two supermarkets in the neighbour, Central Markets is the one my mom and I frequently went to. Organic forever is a great place for organ food lovers. The community is safe and convenient.
Luther is very kind and generous. He gave us a tour around the community to show the supermarkets and paths to places we wanted to go to, which was pretty amazing. Also, he has prepared everything we need for the stay at NYC. There was a washing + drying machine in our apartment (although it takes forever to finish both work…approximately 8 hours for a normal process, it has made our lives so much easier so that we don’t have to carry two big fat bags of clothes to a laundry store and pick them up in time). The air conditioner in the bedroom has literally saved my life. Summer in the city was so hot that the fans would not be enough to cool you down when the sun is out. Luther has two daughters and they can both speak Chinese! It’s just too bad that we din’t get to meet them.

In conclusion, this was my fourth time being in New York City and it was the best living experience here. Everything is handy and Luther is very helpful & friendly. I hope I could live under Luther’s care next time at NYC.Thank you very much, Luther!

I and my wife rented the parlor floor unit in the townhouse from July 2015 to January 2016.
The unit is spacious, airy, quiet and very bright, sunny, with a beautiful view on Morningside Park.
The area is wonderful, 2 blocks away the subway (Cathedral Station), Starbucks, farmers market (every saturday) and central park north.
The heart of Harlem (125th street) is just 12 blocks away.
The unit is also well equipped with a excellent bathroom, spacious bedroom, Apple TV and confortable couch, allowing the frequent use of the kitchen (we used it almost every day) with all utilities.
Access to Columbia University is very quick and safe, even if you want to cross the Morningside Park.
Above all else, we were very happy with the great support given throughout the period by Luther, who showed himself to be very responsible and attentive to all our needs, all the time.
We arrived in NYC in the middle of summertime, and Luther provided a new air conditioning in the bedroom and new garment racks.
Luther never delays in answer every single question you can have.
We hope in our next returns to NY we can stay under the Luther care.

Elton & Thaís (from Brazil)

Living here was a wonderful experience and I cannot recommend the apartment enough. The location is brilliant, a couple minutes walk to the subway (110th) and NW central park. As a columbia student this was especially convenient given the 12 minute walk over to campus with a scenic walk through Morningside park along the way.

The area has lots of families, a friendly community and is a great residential area. Given its mostly residential, this avenue in particular is quiet at night and great for light sleepers given NYC noise standards. For entertainment, there are ample restaurants, bars etc one avenue over on FDB which is always lively and has things going on. At least 1 supermarkets, bodega, dry cleaning and pharmacy are all within 2-3 blocks.

I lived as a single female and felt safe coming home at any hour without any troubles which is definitely great. The building itself is very well-maintained and looked after. A definite plus is the landlord of the apartment. Luther lives in the same building with his family and takes great care of the apartment. He is friendly, approachable, and responds to any requests or communication quickly and directly, which definitely makes this place an incredibly comfortable experience.

Having lived in the one bedroom apartment, there is a fantastic view overlooking the park which was definitely a big highlight for me. The apartment has a lots of light coming in and feels incredibly spacious. The place is well furnished, to the point where I didnt really need to purchase anything additional at all. Having all the amenities included and the apple tv was a great addition. As an international student the conveniences of living here really made my experience far better and Id definitely say the apartment is well worth the price paid. Very sad to have left this place, its a beautiful apartment!

I lived in one of the studios in this brownstone while I was studying at Columbia last year and I cant recommend it enough! I felt at home very quickly - the apartment and building are very well kept and Luther and his team work year round to maintain it in the great shape that it is in. Also, as a single girl, I felt very safe both in the area and building, particularly because Luther and his family live there too and he is accessible at any time of day. Finally, the location is fantastic, with parks, wonderful restaurants, and the subway just around the corner. My only regret is that I only got to know Luther and his family towards the end of my stay as it was the best part of my experience! They are wonderful people, who unlike most landlords, care for their tenants and for building meaningful relationships with them. So if you are looking for a home away from home, this is the place for you!

Lived at this address for 2 years while going to grad school at Teachers College. Could not have asked for a better landlord. If there was ever a problem, he would fix it right away. For example, Had a small problem with air conditioner and, a few hours later, he was there with a brand new one. The building is very well maintained and always clean. The apartments are beautiful and the park across the street is awesome. Landlord lives in building which is very nice. Building is small and quiet and has the old brownstone charm but is nicely updated. Short walk to columbia and many good restaurants close by. Central Park is also close! Had a great experience living here and would highly recommend this landlord.

I thoroughly enjoyed living in this space. Coming from Australia on my own as a single woman, I found my landlord very welcoming and helpful. This definitely made the transition to New York a wonderful experience for me. I felt safe and enjoyed the close access to subway, the markets and eat out places on Broadway!

I rented an apartment from Luther for a two month stay in New York and I have nothing but the best to say. Luther was friendly, helpful and professional. He was always responsive to inquiries and needs (before, during and after my rental). The apartment was very nice and clean, and had all of the amenities and furnishings someone could need and more. Everything in the apartment worked well. Luther takes great care of his building and his tenants. I have no hesitation recommending him: in a large city like New York, Luther and his building are real gems!

Luther was my landlord for 2 years and I cant imagine living anywhere else! The apartment was extremely nice (definitely the best property I saw) and the price was right considering the quality of the space. Luther was extremely responsive if ever anything needed fixed. I really loved my apartment! More than anything, the building felt safe and welcoming thanks to Luther. And this made all the difference for my experience in NYC as a young woman. Thanks Luther!

Living in this apartment was absolutely wonderful. The space is huge, immensely comfortable, and the furnishings are top-of-the-line. All of the appliances work well and the washer/dryer in the bathroom is a huge plus. The front windows face Morningside Park and bring in great light. The building itself is gorgeous and all the other tenants were quiet and respectful. The landlord - Luther - lives in the building and makes sure it always stays clean and functional. He is extremely prompt about fixing anything. There were no bad suprises at all upon moving in, in fact, everything we learned about the place after signing the lease was an added plus (heated bathroom floors, DVR, etc.)

In any part of the country this space would be tremendous, but in NYC its an unbelievable find. The only reason we are moving is for work - otherwise we would stay forever! I cant reccommend this apartment highly enough.