Luke’s apartment is in a fantastic location, with loads of restaurants and shops, even a Whole Foods market a block away. The neighborhood seems safe and the apartment has all the amenities one would expect. Luke is eager to help and quick to respond to messages. Despite all of that, there were some unanticipated developments that negatively impacted my experience. Privacy.
While the property is located on an alleyway and one must have the gate code to get to the front door, this ground floor unit - 1 of 2 - has no window coverings. Every window is uncovered, no blinds or curtains. And the fire escape stairway from apartments on the upper floors lands right outside the apartment windows. As a lone female occupant it was unnerving to realize that my every waking and sleeping moment was visible to anyone with access to the gate or stairway. After testing to confirm that one could see in from the outside with the lights on or off, I resorted to stacking sofa and bed pillows inside the bedroom window before going to bed, but still did not sleep well.
Lastly, there were loads of sneakers, shirts, pants, and other clothes in the closet, frozen meat and vegetables in the freezer. Eggs, milk and other groceries in the Fridge and kitchen cabinets. It felt like the owner had just left and would return any minute. Which made me very uncomfortable. I’m guessing the owner lives here and vacates when someone books the space.
So while the apartment was clean, and I appreciated the thoughtful gestures like a brand new toothbrush in the bathroom, the experience overall did not meet my expectations.
On the upside, I had a candid conversation with Luke about these concerns and he stated that blinds are on order and apologized they had not arrived before my stay. Luke was also very responsive to my suggestion about installing a curtain or other partition in the closet that is also used by guests, so we are not looking at his wardrobe, hats, backpacks, laundry, etc.
So in closing, assuming that blinds are installed and personal items hidden away, the next guests should have a much better experience. Given how responsive Luke has been, reach out to Luke first before eliminating this as an option.