This Brooklyn Icon Is House Swapping Her Hamptons Home on Kindred

Hi, I’m Gina. I am heading up content here at Kindred, and I’m also a member and house swap obsessive. I live in Columbia Waterfront, Brooklyn, with my husband and two kids, ages 8 and 12. We have hosted families from Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Tuscany, Ljubljana, southern Germany, Montreal, and New Orleans, and this summer we are welcoming a Kindred family from Palo Alto.

One of our favorite parts of hosting is sharing our neighborhood guide to Columbia Waterfront, Cobble Hill, and Carroll Gardens, which includes tips on our favorite bookstore, Jewish deli, pizza places, and local (iconic) park. At the top of our must-visit list is Poppy’s, a bakery and coffee shop that is really the watering hole of our neighborhood.

So imagine my delight when I was scrolling through summer vacation destination options on Kindred, and I spotted Poppy’s owner Jamie Erickson and her beautiful home in Hampton Bays. Recently, over an almond milk latte and a rhubarb scone at Poppy’s, I chatted with Jamie about the role Poppy’s plays in our neighborhood, and her decision to join Kindred.

Q: Poppy’s is such a central part of the Cobble Hill experience, and I know the new location in Brooklyn Heights is already playing the same role for its neighbors. How did Poppy’s become such a neighborhood staple?

A: When I took over this space 13 years ago, it was primarily a catering company, with a pop-up coffee and pastry shop that opened most weekends. Then the pandemic changed everything.

Q: I forgot Poppy’s used to only be open on the weekends!

A: Right, a lot of people do. Everyone in the neighborhood used to commute to the city during the week. But then, in the pandemic, everyone was home. So when we opened for curbside service in May 2020, the community showed up for us in ways I hadn’t imagined. With everyone working from home, the demand for local prepared food soared. We focused on nourishing the neighborhood, bringing back our catering chefs back to make soups and salads and roast chicken.

Q: And now, Poppy’s is busy pretty much every day.

A: We serve 500 people on the weekends in a 300-square-foot space.

Q: Wow. How would you say you cultivated that secret sauce that makes Poppy’s so much more than just a café?

A: One thing that never wavered is our commitment to sourcing and quality. The majority of our fresh produce comes from the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, area through a co-op that sources from 100-plus farms. We also get great produce from the Finger Lakes region and upstate New York. Many cafes might want that special sauce, but they cut corners. We don’t. For example, when I see rhubarb scones popping up in other bakeries all year round, I know that rhubarb comes from Holland via large distributors. We wait for local, seasonal rhubarb. It’s hard sometimes, especially in a long winter, but it’s important to maintain that quality and seasonality.

As far as inspiration goes, when we opened I looked at Frankie’s. It’s not necessarily the “it” place, but it’s a timeless neighborhood staple with an unpretentious vibe and consistently good food. My goal has always been to pick our lane and do it well.

Q: Frankie’s is the best, totally agree. I always send our house swapping guests there, with instructions to order the escarole salad and the cavatelli with sausage and sage. Do you get many tourists at Poppy’s?

A: We don’t get much press, honestly, so it’s mostly locals. Occasionally, we’ll be mentioned on a list like goop’s, but mostly we fly under the radar. I will say that social media plays a big role in spreading the word.

Q: Tell me about your vacation house in Hampton Bays.

A: We bought our house in December 2019, right before the pandemic. It was incredibly lucky timing. I loved the architecture of the house, and we put in an offer sight unseen. Especially with a seven-day-a-week business, unless I completely remove myself from the city, I can’t truly relax and breathe.

While it’s not the fancier East End Hamptons you might associate with the area, it’s beautiful, with great access to the beaches. We are eight minutes from the beach, and the bays are even closer. We are close to the North Fork, and our routine involves trips to the cheese shop and the amazing North Fork farms.

Q: How did you decide to list the house on Kindred?

A: It’s a house that brings us great joy, but with the kids getting older, it’s becoming more complicated to get there all the time. I saw Kindred as a way to facilitate a European vacation. I like the point system, as it means you don’t have to find a direct swap where someone wants your house exactly when you want theirs. I haven’t pulled the trigger on a swap yet, but I was close to requesting a London house with the five points Kindred gives you upfront. Ultimately, I’m hoping to use Kindred for a longer trip to Europe, perhaps two weeks in August, combining a hotel stay with a house swap.

Q: Have you hosted anyone on Kindred yet?

A: Not yet! But I only recently joined. People should take a look and request to book for the shoulder season, especially — it’s so beautiful in Hampton Bays in September and October, and even through the winter, honestly. We have a hot tub!

If you’re new to the concept of house swapping, you probably have questions! Here are answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

What is Kindred?

Let’s start with the basics: Kindred is a members-only house swapping platform that makes it easy to exchange homes with vetted members around the world. Members list their home, find other Kindred hosts in destinations they want to visit, and exchange stays — either simultaneously or flexibly, using credits. You earn credits when you host, and use those credits to stay at one of 130,000 Kindred homes.

What are the fees to join Kindred?

Joining Kindred is free — there is no annual membership fee or fee to join, and we don’t even take your credit card until you book a trip! Once you book, you pay for cleaning and service fees, as opposed to a nightly fee. These generally add up to a fee that’s ten times less than a short-term vacation rental hotel. And the longer you stay, the more affordable it gets. This post gets into more detail about our fee structure.

Can I have access to Kindred without becoming a hosting member?

In order to join Kindred, you have to apply and see if your house is a fit. Then, you do have to host to collect credits. That’s what makes the community special: Everyone has skin in the game! But, when you are accepted, you have five free credits to try out Kindred and make sure it’s a fit for you.

What’s the difference between Kindred and Airbnb or VRBO?

Kindred is not a short-term rental website; it’s a house swapping platform where all members and homes are carefully vetted. Before you accept a stay at your home, you can request a video call with the member. There are no forced stays; house exchanges only happen when both parties are comfortable.

Is Kindred right for families?

Absolutely! There are a number of reasons why Kindred house swaps make for the best affordable family vacations: House swaps are a more affordable, more convenient way for families to travel. (Would you rather squeeze your family into a tiny hotel room or move into a house that’s already set up for kids?) Kindred has a new Family-Friendly Collection full of homes that are perfectly suited for families.