The Diner at The Ranch

This is our family's home in the Catskills — a 3-bedroom house on a quiet patch of land we call The Ranch. We use it ourselves on holidays and a few summer weeks. The rest of the year, it sits empty when it could be hosting friends, neighbors, and families from Park Slope.

So we're opening it up at community rates — well below what a comparable rental in the area runs for. The idea is simple: we'd rather see this place full of friends and their kids than have it sit dark half the year.

A week here is meant to feel like staying at a friend's place. The kitchen is stocked and the road is quiet. We don't have an official property manager or fancy check-in — just a simple code to get in and a handwritten welcome note.

How to book. Pick an open week on the calendar (we do Thursday-to-Thursday weeks only — no partial stays). Fill out the form, agree to the rental agreement, and you've got a 24-hour hold. Send the full booking total via Venmo within those 24 hours to lock it in — that's the weekly rate + $225 cleaning fee + 10% NY tax + a $500 security deposit. Once we see the payment, we send the confirmation and the door code. The security deposit is refunded within 7 days of checkout (assuming no damage beyond ordinary wear). If you cancel before your stay, we refund per the policy below.

What it costs. Weekly rates run from $525 in spring/fall up to $750 in peak summer. The weekly rate does NOT include taxes or cleaning — on top of it, every booking has a one-time $225 cleaning fee (just once, no matter how many weeks) plus 10% NY tax. Exact pricing per week is on the calendar.

Stay 4 weeks or more, save 10%. Multi-week stays get 10% off the weekly rate, plus you still only pay one cleaning fee for the whole stay. A 4-week summer stay works out about 26% cheaper than four separate bookings.

A few weeks are tentatively held for family use. Thanksgiving and the Christmas-through-early-April stretch are held for family. Those weeks show as unavailable on the calendar.

If a week's already booked, join the waitlist. Booked and family-reserved weeks have a waitlist signup on the calendar — drop your email and we'll let you know the moment something opens up. First to pay wins, so we keep the list short and the emails honest.

Cancellation. Full refund if you cancel 30+ days before check-in. 50% of the weekly rate refunded 14–29 days out. Inside 14 days the weekly rate is non-refundable — but the cleaning fee and deposit are always refundable. Full details in the rental agreement at booking time.