This spot was great for us and our trip. The apartment is small, but perfect for a couple on vacation. The pool was so nice and having Whole Foods right downstairs, with private access nonetheless, was amazing. It is near tons of great shops and restaurants. We also really enjoyed Union Station, which is right across the street and has some cool spots like Terminal Bar, Pigtrain Coffee and Tattered Cover Book Shop. I think all the amazing amenities outweigh the tremendous parking challenges, which I review in more detail below.
When we first arrived, our door code did not work, but we went down to the front desk and they fixed it right away. Everyone at the front desk was friendly and helpful whenever we needed anything.
If you are coming back to the apartment later at night, just know that it is near a train station, so expect to encounter a lot of people hanging around outside at all hours. I do not think it is dangerous per se, but it’s always good to be aware of your surroundings and don’t be staring at your phone while you are walking.
The rest of my review pertains to parking, which I don’t think takes away from the appeal of the apartment. If you are not bringing a car, you obviously don’t have to worry about this. When we first booked this AirBNB, I saw several comments about parking. After experiencing this firsthand, I realize now that it would have been helpful to have much more detailed information, so here it is:
If you are bringing a car and leaving it parked the whole time, Sentral will give you a voucher for half off a specific lot that is about a block and a half away, this should work out to roughly $15 a day.
If you are coming and going (like we did) it gets more complicated and much pricier. We were told the vouchers only work if we park for 24 hours, and that for coming and going we are better off just paying the hourly rates. Well, our first night we came back in the evening and left mid-morning the next day and paid $25! What we figured out is that if you use the Spot Hero app, you can book a spot in the same lot for significantly cheaper (like $10). There are two lots on Chestnut Place that this works for: 1601 Wewatta (entrance by Finley’s Barbershop on Chestnut) and another one directly across the street. One night, we came back late after a concert and the entrance to 1601 was closed and would not open. The lot across the street thankfully opened as you pull up, even after midnight. All in all, it’s manageable and if you know what you are getting into and plan ahead with Spot Hero, it shouldn't be a big deal.
Overall though, we had a great time visiting and would absolutely stay here again.