Please read this review before booking, to spare the potential mixed reaction we came away with from our trip. I will start with the positives and then do move on to the negatives.
There are in fact quite a few good things about the apartment. It’s quite stylish, the beds are pretty comfortable and it comes with all the utensils (pots, pans, cutlery, etc) you might need if you wanted to have a “homey” experience. The apartment was very clean when we arrived and was a great place to stay… during the say! Emphasis on the word day!
Now the bad. First, let's start with what the listing says. It is clearly stated that the building is old and yes there is an old elevator, which is fine since it works. However, what isn't mentioned is that the windows are not just old but barely functioning. Now you may think that’s not a big deal, and during the day it isn’t. However, at night the Gaslamp district, especially where the apartment is located, gets very very VERY loud. Which is fine on its own, one should expect that from a place with many bars around, however, because the windows are not just old, but completely un-renovated, even when fully closed they will not keep any of the noise out. This is in part due to poor sealing between the frame and the window panes, as well as other parts of the windows. What this means is that it is impossible to sleep there at night. From 9 pm to 3 am on Friday and Saturday (a bit less so during the weekdays, but not that much) it is unbearably loud. Simply not possible to sleep and on particularly festive nights (i.e. Labor day) it is not really even possible to be in the apartment (can’t watch tv or read or just relax). Note that I live next to a highway and come from a big city with very loud streets and I could not bear the noise.
We were completely stunned, to the point that we actually just booked a hotel and moved. We still used the apartment during the day - for things like cooking, working and etc and it was pretty nice. During the day, when the noise is to a minimum, it becomes a lovely place to stay. So if you plan to be going out late into the night during your stay, you shouldn't have this issue, but if you are like us, planning to just relax and have a family trip, we would not suggest this place.
In summary, a very nice apartment, great if you want to cook during your trip and very clean, but due to the poor quality of windows, all of the positives are marred by the inability to even remain in the apartment in the evenings/nights, particularly on Friday and Saturday.