Ever find yourself wishing you could afford just one night in Williamsburg, partying it up like the trust fund kids and startup CEOs on the waterfront? Yeah, us too. And now’s your chance to do it for free, because Williamsburg’s Rough Trade (64 N. 9th St.) is inviting you to spend a night just like that in their digs.
Factmag reports that the BK record store has partnered with Airbnb and Sonos to offer a major sweepstakes that gives two winners the chance to spend a FREE overnight stay in one of Rough Trade’s listening rooms and treat the entire store as their personal party pad, Night at the Museum-style. And the contest is listed on Airbnb, so everything is charmingly listed as if you were going to “rent” Rough Trade for the night. Amenities include heating, A/C, wifi and internet. Check-in is anytime after 3pm.
This reads as a pretty obvious attempt by Airbnb to endear themselves to New Yorkers and continue to push their tax-slippery brand as one that’s “hip” and culturally embedded. But while you’re being cautious about the controversy that surrounds them, you may as well take them up on a freebie, right?
According to the listing, the goal of this contest is “to recreate the home audio listening experience,” so they’re catering to music junkies with a decked-out listening room:
An ode to the old-school record store culture, the Listening Room is equipped with two Sonos PLAY:5s, two Sonos PLAY:1s, a Sonos Connect, and a Pro-ject record player to give you and your friends a high quality listening experience. The Sonos Listening Room also nods to the local music scene, showcasing an exclusive collection of out-of-print New York music zines and a custom illustration by New York cartoonist Mark Stamaty, which is also featured in one of the Listening Rooms at the Sonos Store in Soho.
If selected for the overnight stay, you’ll get set up with a party playlist and a fully-stocked mini-fridge. So long as you respect the 2am curfew, they’ll let you have all your friends over. In the morning following, Rough Trade stays closed so you can do some private shopping
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All you have to do to apply is sign up with Airbnb, go to the contest page and click through to answer their skill-testing question: “What would be your dream overnight experience at the Sonos Listening Room in Rough Trade?” (550 characters max.) Winners will be chosen on the merit of their response to this question vis-a-vis originality, passion for record store culture, etcetera.
The full prize package includes a stay for two in Rough Trade’s upstairs listening room, all meals for the duration of their overnight stay (can you say DELIVERY) as well as a VIP concert experience, the private shoping, Sonos swag and a $500 stipend for incidentals. If you happen to live in another state, the prize also includes roundtrip airfare for two between the winner’s US residence and New York City.
Your stay can be claimed on any night between October 1 and November 30. Submissions are open today through Monday, September 26 at 11:59pm, and winners will be announced on October 7.
This might be the only time you can afford to rent in Williamsburg, anyway. So what do you have to lose?
Besides the contest, obviously.