The welcome: I felt wonderfully welcomed by Toetsie, with her terrific smile and warm, super-friendly personality. I arrived mid-afternoon and she was working in her soap-making studio near her apartment , so I went there to meet her and get the key. Since she had the time, she accompanied me the two blocks to the apartment.
The room/apartment: I was in the single room, which has a big window and, at the other end of the room, double French glass doors which open into the shared sitting area. You can close the doors and curtains for complete privacy, and open them for light. There's a kitchen alcove well stocked and Toetsie provides bread and cheese, juice for breakfast. Although you share the space and the bathroom with 1-2 other guests, I never felt crowded or had trouble getting use of the bathroom, and I was never bothered or awakened by other guests coming and going.Best of all, you get to enjoy the rooftop terrace/garden which Toetsie joyfully shares with her guests!
The neighborhood: a real neighborhood, with lots of different types of small Restaurants just a block away, and a GReAT shop for cheese, wine, etc (erik's) and an organic market. The people in the neighborhood were all very friendly, and it was an easy walk to the tram and to many sites, and the tram goes directly to Centraal Station.
Summary: a wonderful, artsy, welcoming, comfortable, charming place made oh, so special by the inimitable, incomparable Toetsie, who I now consider a special friend after just a 3-day stay. I miss you, Toetsie!