I stayed at Gary’s place for four weeks in Jan/Feb 2021. I was alone, except for my dog. It was an excellent stay, overall. I had just returned to Melbourne after five years overseas and just out of covid quarantine, with four suitcases in tow ... and this was my landing spot while I got my bearings.
The space ...
Two story, two (and a half) bedroom apartment that was very clean, bright and well appointed, in general. The stairs are not too narrow but have a dog leg half way up. Not too big a problem, though slightly tricky with a heavy case.
As advertised, the apartment has touches of Art Deco / heritage furniture (replicas, I believe) and is very comfortable. The building itself is Art Deco in style and (I assume) age. There are some charming original touches inside the apartment - ceiling motifs, for example - and the overall feel is quite authentic.
There is no air conditioning but I found the apartment to have great ventilation and remained cool even on 30+ days. There are some aspects of the apartment that are probably due a refresh: the bathroom, which is perfectly functional and very bright, but feels a little dated; and the oven / cooker which works fine but looks like it is on its last legs.
But these are small niggles, and the washer / drier, microwave, dishwasher, Nespresso machine, fully appointed kitchen etc. show an attention to detail and convenience that I very much appreciated.
The front door opens out (at ground level) onto a shared courtyard area, and occasionally there is some noise as people come and go. But generally the building - and the entire local area - is very quiet indeed. As I was leaving, work was underway to re-landscape the shared gardens and this space - already charming - should be very attractive by now.
The host ...
Gary lives in an adjacent apartment and was always on hand to help with anything, whilst respecting my privacy, totally.
I had an issue with wifi, for example, and Gary went out of his way to get this fixed as a priority, visiting his service provider over the weekend and obtaining new equipment to fix the issue as fast as he could.
He also offered me one of his personal bikes to use ... and although in the end I didn’t, this was a really nice gesture and showed his thoughtfulness for his guest.
The location ...
Middle Park is a delightful suburb, very leafy and quiet, and perfectly positioned. The local ‘village’ area has all essentials - small local supermarkets, cafes, a pub, pharmacy, etc. I rarely had to leave the local area in four weeks.
The beach is five minutes’ walk away at the end of the street, and a perfect place for a stroll (with or without dog) any time of the day. Albert Park, with its boating lake, endless sporting fields and off leash dog areas (and F1 circuit) is five minutes in the opposite direction.
The city and St Kilda are easily reached by tram or car, in just a few minutes. If you really feel the need to leave Middle Park, that is!