Sasha is a great host; he's very nice and made me feel welcome right from the start. Even though he had an appointment to get to, he made sure to give me recommendations on places to eat, (3 min away) grocery shop (6 min away), and how to get downtown.
The place is great for the low-maintenance/self-sufficient traveler. I say this because of the distance to downtown and atmosphere.
Distance: It’s about a 5-6 minute walk to the local bus, which takes you to downtown in about 10 min; or a 10-15 min walk to the train station which takes about the same amount of time to get downtown. If you like walking, it’s about 25-35 min walk depending on pace and destination. And an uber costs about 3-5 euro each way. Given that Porto is quite compact, it feels a lot farther than it is. It was a bit farther than I’d have preferred, but once I got my bearings it wasn’t a problem.
Atmosphere: It’s a 4 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom apartment shared with other renters. It’s a bit more of a hostel-type vibe than I would have preferred. I was a bit disappointed that some the other guests were quite messy, but this was beyond Sasha’s control. He apologized and made a note to them. Nevertheless, the place is well equipped and comfortable.