HOTEL ALTERNATIVE IN PARK SLOPE

There was a story in the Daily News by Jergo Armstrong about my friend Wendy (pictured below) who opened a Bed and Breakfast (without breakfast so it's a B without B) a few months ago.

She remodeled the garden apartment in her brownstone and now rents it out with three day minimum stay.  Formerly a set designer, Wendy has an incredible eye for interior design and the garden "hotel" she created is gorgeous, airy, and filled with beautiful things. Just the kind of place you want to stay in when you're visiting beautiful Brooklyn. She's had guests from all over the world. And the word is getting out about her spacious and comfortable alternative to a hotel in Park Slope.                    

Wendy Ponte hugs daughter Adelaide Ponte Upton, 10, in the basement room she rents to tourists.

Tourists visiting New York are leaving behind Manhattan's bustling hotels for the charm of Brooklyn's brownstones.

Homeowners from Park Slope to Bay Ridge are renting their apartments to visitors on a short-term basis, taking advantage of a growing number of tourists lured to Brooklyn by its slower pace and cheaper lodging.

"A lot of people vacationing to New York are beginning to realize that Brooklyn is a viable, cheaper alternative to Manhattan ... and it's a growing market for people like me," said Wendy Ponte, a freelance writer who rents a one-bedroom apartment out of her Park Slope brownstone.

"People more are wanting to stay in Brooklyn rather than the city. A lot of them have kids and would rather stay in an apartment setting within a community than in Manhattan."

Ponte, who started renting out her apartment last February, lists her apartments on Web sites like Craigslist and Cyberrentals.com - and the response has been overwhelming.

Others report similar results. "Every week I'm booked. I've been booked up 100% since I started this two years ago," said Margo Lewis, 41, an event producer who rents out a Fort Greene apartment.

"I've had people come from Australia, Germany, England, Japan and other parts of the United States, just wanting to stay in Brooklyn. They view Brooklyn as a way of life, an icon of the United States."

Both Lewis and Ponte use the rentals as secondary income - and have benefited handsomely.

"I can earn up to $3,500 a month based on my weekly rental," said Lewis, who has a three-night minimum stay of $250; $850 for a week, and a maximum of $2,500 for a month.

Jason Nagy, the director of marketing for FindRentals.com, said the industry for vacation alternatives to hotels is getting bigger and bigger. "This is definitely a growing trend because people want better deals than hotels"