If I had the choice between a lousy place in a great neighborhood or a great place in a lousy neighborhood, I would choose the former. So, this review comes from that perspective.
Nick was very responsive by email and answered all of my questions before coming. He made our arrival easy. We were somewhat disappointed upon getting into the space; this apartment is classic old LA, but needs some intentional TLC. The accommodations served us well for our needs of having an affordable place where we weren't spending much time and the neighborhood was great--just as described. All the public amenities were in walking distance as promised and we really enjoyed walking around the winding streets and eating in the local spots. We hiked over to Griffith Park and up to the Observatory- can't beat the wonderful location of the apartment.
That said, while I really appreciate the relatively inexpensive stay and truly understand that it is inexpensive in this very expensive city, it would take only about a day to deep clean the living spaces and get rid of the old weird junk in the walk-in closets. Updating the dilapidated furniture and unmatched linens and towels would help.
Minimalist is just fine, but if someone is getting paid to clean--they are keeping the bathroom and kitchen reasonably clean, but nothing else.
Overall, while not ideal, the stay met our needs. It was an urban camping experience.