This was the first time I have experienced staying at a hostel/ shared community living quarters. We had stayed at the Los Angeles location near Little Tokyo. Our stay was pretty okay. Emma, the host, was very kind and helpful and made sure we got settled in okay. The bunk itself was clean enough and comfortable (I did find someone’s old socks hidden in the cracks).
My only complaints would be about the communal showers and shared sinks. They were pretty gross with piled up soap residue and gunk in the corners of the shower stalls. I was glad I had brought shower slippers. One of the showers (inner one) pipes must have been old because the water coming out smelled very sulfuric. The stalls are cramped but that wasn’t too big of an issue. The fact that the doors to the shower and toilets had a large crack down the center where the wooden slat doors folded was more problematic for me since it didn’t offer a secure sense of privacy. I even had someone violently shake my door while I was trying to shower the first night and that was quite jarring. The shared sinks also need to be fixed. Out of two faucets, only one worked and even then it was constantly leaking water - not just drops, but a steady trickle of water.
Overall, the stay was okay. We weren’t there long and it provided just what we needed: a bed to sleep on at night. The showers and sinks need to be cleaned with bleach or disinfectant at least once a week seeing as how many people come and go through the podshare. We enjoyed Emma’s company and she was extremely considerate and helpful.