Ariel's place is clean, attractive and comfortable. An extra bonus was that on a 90 degree day, the apartment was a good 15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. (One of the good things about basement apartments!) There was an air conditioner, but I never felt the need to use it. Ariel was out of the country during my visit, but she deputized a friend to be a contact person for me and that worked out very well. The apartment was well stocked with toiletries and paper products. I grimaced a little when I saw the K-cup coffee maker. I'm a real tree-hugger, so I won't use those disposable cups. I was delighted to find a kettle and a French Press in the apartment, though, so I was able to make my coffee guilt-free!
Parking on the streets immediately adjacent to the unit is restricted to residents, but there is ample, unrestricted parking just a couple of blocks away. You don't want to be driving around DC anyway, so just park it and forget it until it's time to leave. It is an easy walk to the Metro, and that's really all you need. Petworth is a very pleasant neighborhood, with plenty of shops, cafes, etc.
The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is that there turned out to be a problem with noise from the unit above mine. After two quiet days, I became aware of people walking around up there, followed soon by loud music and party noises. I had no idea if those were owners or renters or what, so I reached out to my contact person. I did not hear back from her that night. When I returned to a similarly noisy space the next afternoon, I contacted Chelsea again and this time got a quick response and good results. The party in the upstairs unit (also an Airbnb that Ariel manages) was contacted, the noise died down, and pretty soon it seemed that they had all gone out. Serenity restored. I hope that Ariel will make sure that there is a clear "No Parties" clause for that unit. I'm hoping it was just a fluke, because in all other ways I would be delighted to stay in Ariel's apartment when I am visiting DC.