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Escape Guesthouse

In 2003, Elizabeth purchased an 1850s Italianate Style brick townhouse and moved with her daughter Adrienne to Brooklyn's Boerum Hill. The pair had often discussed a future plan: opening a bed and breakfast “somewhere” in the country, anticipating an eventual departure from New York City. However, as they discovered the quiet and eclectic charms of the Heights and Hills area, the discussion took a new turn: what about right here?

In 2005, a friend came to stay for a few weeks and caught Elizabeth staying up late working on the plans for the future B&B. The friend had one question: When are you going to quit planning and actually do it? You have an amazing house right here!

In 2006, after reading an article in the Brooklyn Paper highlighting the desperate need for more lodging in Boerum Hill and the near-city section of Brooklyn, Elizabeth and Adrienne refurbished two floors of 168 Bergen Street. The next year, they opened two more rooms to provide greater flexibility and choice to guests who continuously sold out the house.

The name? Escape. The idea? To provide friendly, safe, comfortable rooms in a welcoming house with lots of light and grace. Escape is a quiet retreat tucked just outside the hectic and congested thoroughfares of Manhattan. The rooms hold a blend of modern and antique furniture and artwork from around the world, but the effect is restful and casual. There are no collections of cluttery Victorian furniture nor any installations of lace or ceramics.

Breakfast conversations change daily with the guests, though frequent topics are politics and plays (both local and abroad). Escape has hosted orchestras, designers, actors, directors, scientists, professors, artists, and authors from across the US and around the globe.

If you have friends or family coming to visit, or have ever wanted to explore the unique charms of Brooklyn - from chef-owned restaurants and shops featuring local designers to historic architecture and modern development - then Escape Guesthouse is the place for you!