Airbnb guests find parked vehicles comfy in Queens - Press Herald
Airbnb renters Michael and Tabitha Akins and their dog check their accommodations in a decommissioned 2002 Honda Odyssey yellow taxi, in the Queens borough of New York. While parked vehicles make up only a fraction of the thousands of Airbnb listings in New York City, they provide an option for adventurous, budget-minded visitors seeking a place for far less than the $200-and-up most hotels charge. The Associated Press “If you want a New York adventure, this is it. Great location, great view,” says Rapha Schaele, a 23-year-old student from Freiburg, Germany, who recently stayed in the van with two friends for four days. While parked vehicles make up a tiny fraction of the thousands of Airbnb private accommodation listings in New York City – just three vans, a converted yellow taxi and two campers – they provide an option for adventurous, budget-minded visitors... For now, all the New York City listings on Airbnb for parked vehicles come from one owner, Jonathan Powley, a 35-year-old standup comedian and former hotel concierge who has been renting his vehicles for six months and does his best to anticipate... There have been no problems thus far with those staying in Powley’s vehicles, all parked in Queens’ Long Island City, a gentrifying neighborhood of former industrial warehouses and new condo towers. Source: www.pressherald.com
