I'm so glad I found Mary's listing! It was a great solution since I wanted the privacy a hostel couldn't provide, and the price that any nearby hotels couldn't compete with. As has been mentioned several times by other reviewers, the neighborhood was loud at times, but Mary was completely up front about this and so there were no surprises. I felt safe in the building. Even though there are shared bathrooms and kitchen area, everyone kept to themselves which added to the feeling of privacy and comfort. I will definitely be coming back!