I was torn about whether or not I should review this place. On one hand, I know that AirBnB reviews are important for hosts to attract and retain business (and I’d hate to undermine somebody else’s livelihood). On the other hand, consumers rely on AirBnB reviews to decide where to stay on vacations, and bad accommodations can ruin a trip. Ultimately, I decided to provide an honest review of Yuan’s place. The woman who greeted me was exceptionally friendly, and even helped me lug my bag up 2 flights of stairs to my room. The apartment is located in Chinatown, which is full of charm and felt very safe. It has good access to transportation, and plenty of restaurants (and a Walgreen’s) nearby.

BUT the accommodation itself was unexpectedly uncomfortable. The room itself is a part of a dormitory-like set up. That is, there were roughly 5-7 rooms that shared a kitchen, a common area, and 2 bathrooms. The room itself was clean (e.g., sheets/towels were washed, bed was made, carpet was vacuumed) but the common area was full of junk to the point where it was unusable. The wifi did not work in my room, and one of the bathrooms was without toilet paper for a full two days. The lock on my door was reminiscent of the lock I have on my closet at home. I wouldn’t have minded if I were staying in somebody’s apartment, but for a female traveling alone and staying in a dorm-type setup – it was unsettling.

These are issues that can be fixed. For $48, I’m not expecting the Ritz. All that would need to happen for me to give 5 stars is: (1) buy an amplifier for the wifi, (2) clean the abandoned treadmill/broken furniture/early 2000s electronics out of the common area, (3) put a deadbolt or chain lock on the door to the bedroom.

Again, this apartment is located in a charming, convenient area with easy access to the L train. Yuan’s wife was sweet and helpful. To fully disclose, I did not complain about the toilet paper (I just walked down the hall to the other bathroom and borrowed sheets of TP from there). If I had mentioned it, I’m sure they would have replaced the roll. The issues with this accommodation are easily fixable and I have no doubt that the owners will remedy the situation for future travelers, since they seemed to be kind and reasonable people.