The Village Voice – Best Romantic Getaway in a Far-Flung Pocket of Brooklyn

Looking to have a romantic getaway weekend without having to even leave the borough in which you live? We suggest making a reservation at the Akwaaba Mansion, a bed-and-breakfast located on a leafy brownstone block in the section of Bed-Stuy that real estate agents like to call Stuyvesant Heights. This mid-19th-century mansion has the feel of an English country estate with an Africa theme. There are two secret gardens, and a spacious dining room with a grand piano and marble fireplaces can be rented out for parties.

A full Southern breakfast is served every morning in the cozy, sunlit dining room, which is decorated with African statuettes and antique photographs of the 1939 graduating class of nearby Decatur High School. “Akwaaba” means “welcome” in the Ghanaian language, and when owner Monique Greenwood bought the house 15 years ago, she did so because there were no hotels in Brooklyn for out-of-town visitors to stay (Greenwood herself lives on the third floor). It costs $175 a night, and with only four bedrooms, Greenwood advises making a reservation a month in advance. Ask for the “wedding suite”; it has a Jacuzzi.