first off, Barbara was my very first air b&b and she really set the bar for the kind of experiences I look forward to having with air b&b in the future. at first, Anacostia seems intimidating because perhaps you’ve heard it’s a “rough around the edges” part of town which can be code for the fact that, as Barbara states herself, quite frankly it is a very urban predominantly African-American neighborhood and subconsciously or not, it may put many people off; this is however a very antiquated view of the situation and the lovely people of Anacostia. Not only is this neighborhood rich in history, but the people are friendly, and the community is strong; you’re exactly a block away from the Frederick Douglass house and at a prime location for the metro as well as Capitol Hill and even the national mall.
Barbara presents you with great tips and starters for where to go and what to do, as well as she’s extremely attentive of your needs and basically daily will check in to make sure you’re doing alright. You can pretty much confer with her about anything regarding your stay. She has a dog, however the pup is pretty old and doesn’t make any noise; virtually like he’s not even there. If you’re not comfortable taking the metro from Anacostia because you’ve never ridden a metro before and it seems complex (it isn’t!) there’s always the option to Lyft, and barbara’s location offers a prime position; we never paid more than $6 with promotional codes to take a Lyft to and from certain places nearby, it was wonderful!
Barbara keeps her home clean; the building is historic and classic east coast with the narrow homefront but the long entryway and a gorgeous kitchen with a brick chimney smack in the middle of the living room. Her floors are wooden and well taken care of, and the room followed the same principles; clean, tidy, and comfortable. She even has gorgeous paintings depicting cultural aspects of everyday life by African American artists, as well as books in her living room dedicated to Anacostia and its people. The TV in your room does have Hulu and Netflix, which can be accessed when pressing the middle “M” in the center of the remote; her WiFi is excellent and I promise there is nothing to complain about from my experience; she’s even kind enough to provide towels!
The one caveat is that Barbara does rent out another room right next to the one listed for this review, so keep in mind you will be in the house with barbara as well as whoever else is renting the room next door. This wasn’t an issue for us; however it is something to remember so you’re not surprised once you get in!
I loved this house, and would stay here again next time I’m in D.C. ; it was perfect! Thanks Barbara for trusting us to stay in your home!