Lyn was a fantastic host. A winter storm happened to hit Illinois days before my trip and this definitely impacting things. Due to the temperature change my original place had issues with heat so Lyn accommodated and switched us to this larger studio unit with no extra charge (the heat here was intense when on! Warmed the place up well but when it turned off it was definitely noticeably cold, especially when showering, so we tried to adjust the thermostat accordingly). Due to the aftermath of the snow storm I had difficulty traveling but Lyn understood and was very patient as sudden last minute changes came both of our ways.
The location of the unit is very convenient. We didn’t really explore around much due to the weather but one day it wasn’t too cold and we walked to a near by restaurant for breakfast. I grew up in this neighborhood and there are plenty of restaurants and places to explore (which is much more possible in the summer months).
Parking is always a challenge in the city and I was prepared for that nightmare. Most people say they just park their car and take public transportation/Ubers everywhere and I would highly recommend doing this. For me, I was blessed to not have too much trouble with parking especially considering the snow storm aftermath. I paid for permit parking ahead of time with Lyn and whenever I did have to move my car I found all my parking on Cuyler street. It was beneficial for me to pay for the daily permits but keep in mind that this doesn’t guarantee you a spot, it just gives you an extra street to hunt for parking on.
The unit itself was clean, spacious for two and the bed was very comfy. After a long day it wasn’t hard to instantly fall asleep and recoup. We didn’t really use the kitchen but made use of the back patio/stairway. The bathroom was somewhat cramped though and the hot water took some time to warm up despite leaving the faucets dripping to prevent the pipes from freezing. The first shower was warm but the water wasn’t hot enough and made it hard to stay warm. By the next day though, the water had heated up greatly and we weren’t freezing anymore so it didn’t pose as much of an issue. One thing I will say that wasn’t the best about the place was the thin walls. You can pretty much hear everything from those around you. One night the neighbors played music until maybe 2am. This didn’t really bother us but the last night of our stay was where the thin walls was a problem. A neighbors dog barked all night (and I mean literally all night) and we didn’t get much sleep. This wasn’t anything that has to do with the host as she can’t control others making noise, but this is something to be aware of when booking.
All in all, I enjoyed my stay and I am grateful for the communication/accommodations Lyn offered. I would stay with her again and hopefully come during the summer months to avoid all the snow ❄️