Our best-ever Airbnb experience. Thomas is a lovely guy and his place was a perfect landing spot for our first month in Brussels. He is very modest, so take it from us: this place can't be beat. The apartment is on the ground floor of a lovely early-20th-century home on a quiet street in beautiful Schaerbeek, a short walk from Parc Josaphat (beautifully manicured city park) and Place Dailly (convenient food hub with access to transit). The kitchen is small but was outfitted with everything we needed for a month of cooking, including good-quality pots and pans and even cooking knives. There's a little living/dining room, a renovated bathroom with a very good shower, and a bedroom with lots of storage space and a bed so comfortable that we went and bought the same mattress for our new apartment (IKEA Hovag fwiw). The bedroom has a window on to the street but you would never know it, because the outside roller shutters do such a good job of blocking light and noise. There's a cute little private interior courtyard, although we didn't use it because the weather was so (typically Brussels) gray and cold. The photos do not do this place justice; it is far brighter and more welcoming than they appear!
This part of Schaerbeek is really pretty, with grand brick houses lining wide avenues, and lots of trees. But it's convenient to the center, so much so that I gave up taking the bus and started walking to work in the European Quarter (20 minutes, through a lively and interesting neighborhood with lots of good bakeries :)).
Thomas is a generous and thoughtful person who embodies the original spirit of Airbnb, people opening up their homes in hospitality. He also knows a lot about architecture and design and gave us some great tips on places to visit on our weekends. All in all a great stay and a great start in Brussels. Thanks Thomas!