Walking along Rutland Street en-route to Lefferts Manor Bed and Breakfast gives visitors a glimpse of local life in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood, an established area with a prominent Caribbean-American population. Well-kept townhouses and brownstones line the leafy block. It's quiet by day with neighbors conversing mid-stoop, residents sweeping their stairs, and walking their dogs. Just around the corner, busy Flatbush Avenue buzzes with life, portraying a typical urban scene complete with honking car horns, rushing pedestrians, and local merchants.

The scene inside Lefferts Manor is serene and hushed. The Parlor is a cozy hub with comfortable leather sofas, a large dining table, and bookshelves filled with various books, guides, and games. Guests can grab a cup of tea and settle in on the soft leather sofa by the seven-foot windows looking out onto the street. In the morning, breakfast is served at the dining table, centered in the room beneath an Arts and Crafts style chandelier. Guests come and go quietly up and down the narrow (somewhat creaky) staircase on their way to and from exploring the nearby sights, including sprawling Prospect Park and the Botanic Gardens.

Located on the eastern fringes of Prospect Park, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens has been around since 1890s when James Lefferts divided up his family farm into 600 building lots. Today the area, which houses a notable Caribbean-American population, has become a new hot spot for development, attracting Manhattanites in search of more space and lower real estate prices. Lefferts Manor sits in the heart of the neighborhood's historic district along a serene tree-lined street with rows of similar brick and brownstone townhouses. A half-block away is Flatbush Avenue, a bustling thoroughfare that showcases the area's evolution. There are a handful of trendy coffee shops, a natural grocery store, and several no-frills restaurants serving Caribbean fare. Within walking distance is the Prospect Park subway station, which offers express service via the B and Q subway lines. The sprawling 585-acre Prospect Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, is also close by. 

Even though the area is changing, crime can still be an issue, and guests should exercise caution, especially at night. 

• Seven-minute walk to Prospect Park subway station
• 13-minute walk to Prospect Park Zoo
• 14-minute walk to Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• 40-minute drive to JFK International Airport
• 30-minute drive to LaGuardia International Airport
• 35-minute subway ride to Times Square
• 15-minute drive to Downtown Brooklyn

The six rooms at Lefferts Manor are similar in style with polished parquet floors, high ceilings, deep window sills, sealed fireplaces outfitted with mini-fridges, and original details such as crystal doorknobs. Beds (two twins, a queen, or a king) are all unique, ranging from shaker-style carved pine headboards to antique wrought-iron frames. Linens are white with soft coverings in subdued hues with minimal accent pillows in lively colors. Most rooms offer accent chairs for reading, desks for setting up laptops to access the free Wi-Fi, and dressers for storage. Closets (some walk-in) are basic and rustic, offering room to store suitcases and hang clothes and coats.

The newest addition to the inn is the parlor-level suite, a cozy and romantic hideaway tucked at the back of the house. It includes a claw-foot tub placed in a curtained nook and a private water closet. The other rooms, two on the second floor and three on the third floor, share large bathrooms on their designated floors. Finished with bright white subway tiles, large windows, and over-sized pedestal sinks, the tidy bathrooms are highlighted by claw-foot tubs that beckon guests to draw a bath. Tall shower stalls, communal Trader Joe's bath products, and original details add charm, making the aspect of sharing with strangers a little easier to handle.

The inn also manages two other properties, two apartments in Fort Greene and a two-room suite on the second floor of the Lady Fenimore Guest House, located close to the inn.

Staying at Lefferts Manor gives guests a taste of what it is like to be part of the tight-knit neighborhood. While rooms serve as hideouts, places to sleep in, or enjoy a glass of wine after dinner (there are wine glasses on the fireplace mantels), the inn's main hub is the Parlor. The main-floor space, centered by a huge dining table, offers all the comforts of home. Shelves are stocked with books and games -- everything from Battleship to Sorry -- an armoire hides an older TV, and there's a beverage station where guests can fill-up with bottled water, prepare tea, or make a cup of coffee via a Keurig machine. A dry-erase board lets guest sign up the day before to alert the staff if they plan to stay for breakfast the next morning. While there is no front desk or concierge, the resident innkeeper is available to help with suggestions for exploring the area.