This was my first stay in Vancouver and it was quite a trip. The city itself is very beautiful and it's the kind of place you can't quite grasp in one visit. Though I primarily was in the west end and in east Hastings I felt staying here really allowed me to get a vibe for the city. My boyfriend and I stayed at Maya's place and we really enjoyed it. If you don't know much about the layout of Vancouver you definitely want to make sure you take some time and check the travel situation from this place. The place itself is on east Hastings which is currently undergoing a transformation (as most areas in cities these days are going through). If you're not used to being in a city the area may be a bit of a shock to you. I read some other AirBNB folks on here who were scared of the area, but honestly if you're smart and have some common sense you'll be fine. The area is a bit rough around the edges but it's safe. I honestly found the area charming and full of character, and it was a nice change of pace from the metropolitan nature of the west end. The bulk of my business was in west end and while it's not geographically far, depending on the time of day it could take a bit to get downtown (20-30 mins in rush hour but 10-15 during other times). So make sure you know where you're going. Most mapping apps on phones will tell you what's up. Good news is that the bus stop is directly across the street in front of the local drug store from this spot and it's only 2.75 to ride it. This is much better than a taxi which will most definitely cost you 12 no matter how you slice it from other areas of the city at any time. There is no uber so you'll have to rely on the yellow taxi's which are good but well... still taxi's. There is the skytrain but the station wasn't close. However, we did end up riding it and it is totally cool if you get a chance. It's definitely the fastest way into the city and crazy scenic. Maya's place is awesome! It's well decorated and in a really cool art deoc-y kind of building. It's quiet and just has a nice vibe. All amenities were provided as mentioned and it sort of felt like home away from home. It felt good to be in a real neighborhood with folks. Once you get out of the apartment there are lots of nice little restaurants and things to do on east hastings. My boyfriend and I really liked "What's up Hot Dog" which was like a cool little dive bar with interesting food and nice folks to chat with. It's open late and within' walking distance so that was cool. There are clothing stores, markets, all sorts of ethnic restaurants....