Federica was wonderful and so was her apartment! I legitimately cannot say enough good things about my experience there. First, the neighborhood could not be more conveniently located. It is right by Kings Cross Station, where you can get a few major subway lines, and across the street is Kings Cross National and International trains. A few blocks from that is Euston station where you can also get a decent amount of international and nation trains, as well as service to the surrounding airports. Coming in from Heathrow was super easy, as I just took the Victoria line to Kings Cross and then walked for about 10 minutes until I was at the apartment.
The neighborhood is great, Camden is a really cool area and a few minutes away it looks like downtown nyc St. Marks Place literally exploded for like 15 city blocks, it's a really cool scene and the vibe in the area is one I've never experienced before. Kings cross is also a cool spot, with a hostel down the road with a bunch of international guests, and some bars in the area where the law students from the neighboring law college go to drink and unwind. This made for a decent, not too messy vibe later at night. As well as a convenient location to get to and from any of the major stations in the area or the airport or any transit.
Booking was super easy, and Federica was nice and really comunicative, even though I booked legitimately 10 hours before I landed in London. Despite this, she gave me great directions and was really helpful. When I got into Federica's apartment (2 hours late because I made a small transit mistake) she literally welcomed me with open arms, and made me feel really so welcome.
She showed me the apartment, made me a cup of tea that made me immediately feel better. I use airbnb quite a bit, and staying in other peoples homes can be a bit tricky. Despite the hospitality of the host, you tend to feel as though you are tiptoe-ing around most of the time. This was not the case with Federica. It is rare that a host, in any context, makes you feel so welcome and like you are not putting anyone out. I cannot stress enough how much she was able to do this, just in being relaxed and making you feel like that as well. The final night I was there, I had a chance to hangout a bit with her and her friends, and we played music and talked a bit. She treated me like a friend, and a guest, not like someone who was just staying in her home for a few days. I cannot possibly stress to you how nice it is to feel welcome in someone's home. Federica was by far the best airbnb host I have had, and the best experience with airbnb thus far. Would stay there again in a heartbeat!