This apartment was about exactly what I expected from the listing. Simple and clean. There isn't much decoration. Nothing fancy. Note that it's a fourth floor walkup.

We did not meet the host, but the email with entry instructions was very clear. The bed was VERY comfortable even with my sudden bad back and a chronic hip problem, and the sheets and towels were nice and soft. There were extra pillows in the closet (that we didn't think to look for the first night), but pillowcases for those were... who knows where.

The neighborhood is great, and really central for all North End explorations. Two excellent breakfast cafes are less than a block away. Don't miss Theo's!

We listened to the bells of the Old North Church -- not at all loud, when inside. And we did get to listen to one side of an argument at 4am one night (though not so loud that we could hear the words), from someone sharing the same central courtyards I assume, and could hear the neighbors sometimes. But that's life in the city. Fell back asleep with no problem.

As we live nearby, we took commuter rail into North Station and the walk over couldn't be easier. 5 minutes, tops.