We so valued our stay. We liked being amongst real East Berliners while also feeling we had a special place to ourselves. We felt the apartment had everything we needed in easy to locate spots, we felt instantly comfortable and ‘at home’ from the moment Cecilia’s partner handed us the keys. It’s such an easy walk to the 200 bus, the S-Bahn *and* the tram that it took us very little time to reach most attractions. The neighborhood itself has great cafes, bars and restaurants nearby with a wealth of options just a bit further away. I had no trouble sourcing easy meals at the proximate grocery stores to save on daily spending. Visitors should note that many Germans use their terraces to smoke so there is a faint cigarette odor while using the terrace. I did not feel it impacted us in the unit itself and I should note I really truly dislike cigarettes so might be more sensitive than most. I’d like to stress that I think this is a reality of Europe and there is nothing hosts should feel they should have to do about it. I felt enormously comforted by the fact Cecilia and her family were right across the hall if I needed anything, but everything we needed was already thought of so I had to ask only for help booking a taxi.