Great place! Truly a rare find!
The picture is misleading but IN A GOOD WAY! it is astonishingly more spacious than expected. Upon entering for the first time it’s reminiscent of the narrowing hallway with a tiny door scene in Willy Wonka. From the outside the front door is in between a hair salon and another transparent door which leads to a staircase which leads to another residential unit on the 2nd floor and needless to say it seems like a very tight fit. That old piece of wisdom “looks can be deceiving” certainly applies here. I really cannot stress enough how much more spacious the unit is than the pictures and the view from the street would suggest. It really is a very pleasant surprise.
It’s exceptionally clean and bereft of bugs which honestly is rather uncommon for the dwellings in this part of Long Beach. I’ve stayed at quite a few places in this general area and in all of them; without fail, would get an unexpected visit from insects a few times a day. Not here.
There is a ton of storage space. The unit is one big room from beginning to end very much like a loft. Often times places like these don’t allow for a location for your belongings to be out of sight and out of the way which leads to a cluttered environment. In contrast the unit has a closet that accommodates hanging all of my suits, jackets, my fiancés dresses etc and all of our shoes with plenty room for more. In addition there’s a massive armoire with one half dedicated to linens and folded clothes and the other for whatever needs hanging up. If you need to store luggage or anything else there’s a walk-in storage closet tucked beneath the stairs as to not take up any living space.
The Murphy bed is very big and comfortable with several different blankets and comforters provided so you can sleep cool on hot summer nights and be nice and toasty when it’s chillier. If there wasn’t already enough storage there’s plenty of space underneath the Murphy bed as well.
In the center of the room there’s a leather three person couch with electronic reclining seats in front of a large Samsung flat screen which can be repositioned to be viewed in bed.
The kitchen has all the essentials minus a dishwasher. More than enough dinnerware and cutlery for an entire family. Lots of spices, condiments, pots, pans etc if you enjoy cooking. All very clean.
I’ve mentioned the exceptional immaculate state the unit is kept in and the bathroom is no exception. Shower only with plenty of room and a shower head that allows you to alter the spray of water among several different settings.
The drawbacks are few and far between and par for the course when staying downtown in a city. Parking can be a bit difficult at times especially if you have guests but it is very easily remedied with a willingness to walk a couple blocks. Others have commented negatively on the noise and as a native Philadelphian whose lived in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and Miami I may have an immunity to what others consider quite a racket however I can understand why this may be undesirable for some but bear in mind this is Downtown Long Beach and while you won’t hear any pins drop I found there’s nothing particularly atypical with regard to the noise level. The only additional noise you’d hear due to the nature of the unit itself would be the footsteps of your neighbors on the stairs for a duration of a few seconds. Other than that it’s no more noisy than any other spot in DTLB.
The host is very polite and receptive. I’ve never had to wait long for a response as he is very attentive to the needs of his guests. Before first checking in I was having a bit of difficulty with booking the unit having lost my license and Brian offered suggestions to remedy the situation. It really showed that he listens to guests and cares about our experience staying at one of his properties.
I absolutely love this place and am sure you will. I initially intended on staying for only the required 31 days while searching for an apartment near by. Luckily with this unit I found what I was looking for and more and extended my stay for several additional months. Enjoy.