I had booked a different unit with this person and a few days later was asked to call the owner/manager. I was a little uncomfortable sharing my number but I called anyway. She asked if I'd be okay if they put me in a different unit in the same building. She said something about someone having an injury and needing to stay on the first floor. It was a bit confusing and made me feel uneasy at first but I went along with it. It didn't impact what I was paying or any part of my travel plans, so it worked out fine.
The unit itself is simple but nice. The furniture in the common areas is a bit flimsy but it serves its purpose. The building was very quiet but does have thin walls (I could hear the downstairs neighbor's alarm go off every morning even though it was set on vibrate mode). It's cool you get a covered parking spot too.
All that said, it's such a great location! It's within walking distance to Old Pasadena where there are tons of cafes, coffee shops, and places to shop. In the other direction, you can walk to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Target. The entire neighborhood is super clean and walkable. Really nice!
My biggest issue with staying here was the unconventional communication. A day or two before checking in I got a message on WhatsApp from the owner/manager that was just my name and a question mark. They didn't explain who they were until I wrote back asking who it was. I was reluctant to answer but then they went ahead and communicated entirely by WhatsApp including check-in and check-out details and staying in touch throughout my stay.
One of the benefits of using Airbnb is not having to share personal information so I was uncomfortable with how the owner/manager first asked me to call and then took it upon themselves to use WhatsApp as our primary communication platform.