I stayed here for 4 months, so I can definitively say that Emma is the perfect host! :) She is very communicative & responsive — she always responds to messages as quickly as you could possibly imagine. She is always there for you at all times.
The building has a 24/7 concierge in the lobby, which is fantastic — because they are always there to accept packages for you or solve any issues that might come up.
Speaking of the building, there is a fairly well-stocked gym available to you with almost all of the weight machines & cardio machines & free weights that you would be looking for. And this very building is home to both Starbucks and the Vancouver International Film Centre on the ground floor. Wanna watch some award-winning international films while you're here? You've already arrived.
This neighborhood is right in the center of Yaletown, arguably the best neighborhood to live in across all of downtown Vancouver. You are literally walking distance to everything that you would want to get to, and I rarely used my car during the 4 months that I lived here. If you do have a car, you've got a secure, underground, reserved parking space for you as well! (It's a relatively compact spot, so a smaller car would be your best bet.)
Speaking of walking, you have 3 excellent grocery stores within walking distance of you. The best grocery store of all, Choices Grocery Store, is just 1 short block away. It takes like 60 seconds to walk there. If you're not familiar with them, they are a fantastic natural foods grocery store that rivals Whole Foods when it comes to organic, grass-fed, natural products — but they are so much more affordable than Whole Foods! There is also a large Nesters Market 2 blocks away, and a small Farm-To-Table Market with lots of local meats & cheeses & produce about 3 blocks away.
Because you're right in the heart of Yaletown, you're just 4-5 blocks away from the warehouse district with all of its upscale restaurants & boutiques. And in the other direction, you're a short 5-minute walk to the beautiful seawall, which wraps all around Vancouver and takes you right into gorgeous Stanley Park! Yes, you're practically steps from the beach — and all the rest of the nature in Vancouver! Walking north to the upscale Robson Street only takes about 5 minutes as well. If you like bars & nightclubs, the nightlife scene of Granville Street is one block away. Note that Granville can get noisy at night, particularly on weekends, and you can hear it through your bedroom window — but it's honestly not too bad if you're used to living in a city.
I mean, come on, people — you are walking distance to EVERYTHING! It's the perfect location!! :) If there's somewhere you want to go near downtown Vancouver, you can walk there from here. I really can't emphasize that enough.
Right out the front door of the building is a grassy park, too! With playground equipment for the kiddies, and lots of benches to sit on. I think there is even some outdoor gym equipment to do pull ups & chin ups. On sunny days, you can suntan on the sprawling grass! I've suntanned out there many times!
I would say that there is only one big problem with this location that just cropped up in the last month. Last month, the ridiculous liberal government officials of Vancouver decided to purchase the hotel next door and make it the permanent residence & safe needle injection site for hundreds of homeless people. I have no idea why they felt the need to house homeless drug addicts right in the middle of one of the most upscale neighborhoods of downtown Vancouver. These homeless people are not dangerous, but they can get really loud when they're screaming at brick walls during the night, and they also love exploding extremely loud explosives known as "bear bangers" throughout the day & night. This is really the only major problem here. Hopefully, enough people will protest this situation that the government will move these disruptive losers somewhere else.
Regarding the unit itself, as you can see from the photographs, this unit has beautiful sweeping views of downtown Vancouver — along with a view of the mountains in the distance, peaking out from behind the buildings. And since you're up on the 22nd floor, there is ALWAYS tons of sunlight pouring into the unit! Even on grey & rainy days, you STILL have light illuminating your unit! It's fantastic! :) You couldn't ask for anything more when living in Rain City!! You also have a small outdoor patio deck as well, so you can enjoy sitting outside on warm days & nights! There is no air conditioning in the unit, so during the warmer parts of the year, it's fantastic to have a window in your bedroom, a window in the living room, and a patio door that you can open wide! By opening all 3 of them and keeping your blinds open, you get a nice, cool, cross-breeze throughout the night when you're sleeping. :)
The unit is a smaller one-bedroom with a full-size bed, so I think it's ideal for one person or a couple that is in a relationship. The unit would probably be too tight for 2 people who are "just friends". I've fallen asleep on the couch a few times, but it's not really big enough to serve as a second bed. There is also a small study.
Washer & dryer are in the unit, which is fantastic. Dishwashing machine as well. And the Internet is Fiber, so it is blazing fast and 100% reliable. It never went down for even a split second when I was there, and it was always lightning fast.
I mean, what else can I say? I think I've covered everything! Overall, it was a great experience.