Pro
- Location:
It is a safe and beautiful neighbourhood and you can catch plenty of busses and the metro (N line) going downtown or elsewhere. I was travelling solo and I never felt unsafe even during the night when walking back to the studio.
- Food
There are some yummy places closeby: e.g. Bacon Bacon on Frederick Street (just walk down Ashbury) and along Cole Street (where the metro station is) there are quite a few restaurants, too. Of course there are some more if you walk down to Haight Street.
There is a little convience store right at the corner Ashbury/Frederick St but remember there is only a little fridge in the studio, no further kitchen supplies, which I did not mind as I dined out anyway.
- Host:
Miriam is nice and ready to help if you have questions; or like me catching a red-eye flight she let me store my luggage after check-out. She answers mails quickly, too and is nice to chat with.
- Sleeper bed:
The matress is rather hard but to me it was very comfortable. It is for 1-2 persons...
Con
- Cleanliness:
I had the feeling the room has not been thoroughly cleaned before my arrival. Bed and towels seemed okay, though. The bathroom needs some serious work done, however. In my opinion, the shower had not been cleaned for a while and it is quite small, so this might be a problem for a bigger person, I guess.
I also had some spiders in the room...on the bed*eeww*
- Noise
Anything that happens upstairs in the house is yours to hear, i.e. any movement whatsoever, phones ringing, convos - you name it. Bring ear plugs!
- Privacy
This might have been a one-time incident but someone barged into the studio while I was sleeping (host, cleaning lady?!) and I really did not like/appreciate it.
- Photos
They are accurate with all lights switched on. The studio is located next to their drive way / garage and you won't get a lot of day light. But you'll be mostly out and about anyway.
Conclusion
As mentioned the location is safe and great to explore the city and you won't be spending too much time in the studio anyway. As someone travelling solo, the price is quite good too, especially when you are visiting during a special time period (I was here during fleet week and hotel prices were even more exorbitant than usual), so this studio is an option. Not quite sure, however, if I would stay again.