Joe was super helpful when I was inquiring about booking with him. His place is in a family oriented East LA neighborhood close to big stores and lots of places to eat. Joe has some recommendations, which were awesome. We tried pretty much all of them out and they were all delicious. And on weekend evenings, there is a taco truck on the main street near his place--less than a block walk. Very yummy and convenient.
Four of us stayed at "Hidden Gem" which is a one bedroom apartment with a sofa bed. Joe has created a really well-organized closet that easily accommodates far more luggage than the four of us had for nearly a week. Creative use of the space, which really helped us a lot. There are other rentals on his property, but everyone is really respectful of one another. Very quiet. We were there over Thanksgiving weekend and Thanksgiving evening some of the neighbors (not on Joe's property) had a party, so we were initially worried they'd be loud all night and we wouldn't be able to sleep. But because it is such a family oriented area, they ended the festivities before 10 pm. Everyone was really respectful.
We were in town for touristy stuff like Universal Studios and the downtown attractions. When traffic was not bad, it took about half an hour. But when traffic was heavy, it took an hour or so. Typical LA congestion though, it happens in every big city. The East LA area where Hidden Gem is located is awesome, but I also recommend giving nearby Monterrey Park a try. It is on the other side of the highway and has a lot of great Asian restaurants. Dim sum and Korean hot dogs are delicious.
The only issue we had at Hidden Gem was checking in. The address for the listing is not quite right. It is the mailing address, which Joe has found is easier for guests to plug into GPS systems. However, the separate units on Joe's property each have different numbers. We arrived really late after an exhausting drive from out of state to find the unit with the number in the listing to be occupied, so at first we were a little freaked out that in the middle of the night we'd be searching for a plan B hotel in the dark. I texted Joe and he quickly clarified where to go so we could find the unit we had reserved. Crisis averted and we had a fabulous five night stay at Hidden Gem.
Definitely recommend.