I stayed for one week at Maria and Thomas' unit in the basement of their gorgeous Roncesvalles village home. The basement apartment was bright, spacious, and clean. It was modern and looked newly renovated. I chose this place because I lived in Toronto for almost a decade and Roncesvalles Village is one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Toronto and being next to High Park is always a treat.
Although there was no designated "living room" area, the space was perfect for sleeping, working, eating, and lounging. Checkin was a breeze. Maria provided photos of where the keys would be located. Communication was beyond stellar. Any questions were quickly resolved because the hosts were "lightning fast" with my questions on the Air BnB app.
It was evident that the hosts truly cared about their guests. The actual unit has a kitchenette with a mini fridge, hot plate, extra large microwave, and plenty of cooking supplies. There was so lighting in the unit that the place was always bright and well lit (perfect for teaching my classes on Zoom). The shower pressure was perfect and the hosts supplied a lot of toiletries.
The location was the best part, as it was adjacent to High Park (400 acres of amazing walking adventures) and next to Roncesvalles Village, a charming neighbourhood with a "village" feel along Roncesvalles Avenue. The home is on a quiet residential street. Very close to subway stations and Bloor street, one of the main thoroughfares in Toronto. The Loblaws grocery store (similar to Whole Foods Market) was literally a block away. There is a Starbucks cafe around the corner.
As with all older homes, there was a normal level of "family noise" since there is a family of four who live in the home. The normal creaking or people walking was completely normal and I was used the normal creaks and floor sounds. Guests should know that they are renting a space in an older home (classic Toronto single family homes are 3 floors and a basement).
I would return to Maria and Thomas' basement suite in a heartbeat. I had a great week there and I would highly recommend this space bar none!