Masha’s apartment is as it looks in the photos. I enjoyed it. It is comfortable and functional. Rogers Park is not central but parking on the street was easy which really made things much better. Without a car there would have been a lot of walking or Ubering, specially when the weather was as bad as it was when I was there. Airbnb is changing. Lately I have stayed in apartments that are essentially for Airbnb rentals, just for business and impersonal. Masha’s is still like what Airbnb was supposed to be when it started: people’s own homes. I wasn’t used to being in someone else’s place anymore. All of her stuff is there! It makes it homey but I also felt a little strange. It is a cute apartment, it has everything one needs. It was clean, she has beautiful art work and the kitchen is cute. Masha was amazing at answering my messages and was there at check-in. She was welcoming and really friendly. There are two things however that I did not enjoy.
1. You can hear the neighbor from upstairs ALL the time he or she is home. He or she walks really loudly, you feel as if the floor were going to break, you hear this person snore and talk and much more I’d rather not tell. This went on all weekend and at the end I was really fed up. I am a light sleeper and was kept up by his/her noise.
2. The listing does not mention that a cat lives in the house. It is a good thing I am not allergic. All hosts should specify whether an animal lives in the place. Also a few days before my arrival Masha asked if she could leave the cat there since her cat sitting arrangements fell through. I said yes because I like cats but in a way it felt like an imposition. I found it hard to say no. The cat was silent and did not disturbed at all. There were though cat hairs all over my clothes when I left. And since the cat does not go outside it was impossible to open the windows so it got very stuffy. Not having central air and not being able to open the windows was a problem for me since I am used to having fresh air all the time.
I know I could have said no, and maybe I should have done so, now I have a bittersweet feeling about the place. It is a shame because Masha is a great host and even though Rogers Park is far from downtown, the apartment is very cozy and nice. So if you are planning on booking this place make sure the cat situation is clear (so no last minute surprises) and bring earplugs!