I had a wonderful stay at Carmen's place! The condo/apartment itself is very clean and bright. It has a shared courtyard area, which is nice if you want some time outside. Although the neighbourhood is often portrayed negatively, I found the residents to be very friendly and I had no issues walking through the area. The place is a short walk to Gas Town, which is full of great restaurants and nice shops. Additionally, you can walk to some of East Vancouver's best breweries if that's your sort of thing. Carmen also provided more than enough information and kept in contact before and toward the end of my stay. I would definitely stay at Carmen's place again if I'm ever in Vancouver.