It is a cheap place to stay and if you appreciate a hostel-like experience then this is it for you! Alice was very nice about the check-in and everything about the place was as described. However, this was not the best experience for me.
Things to note:
1. There may not be towels provided so ask for them if they are missing. We could not find them in our closet and were not told where they were in the apartment, but had our own so didn't bother to ask.
2. You are sharing a space with other guests so do not be alarmed if the bathroom gets dirtier over the days as it is 5-day minimum booking for people. Not sure when the time to clean it would be. Hair shavings and stains accumulated during our stay. The bathroom is dirty as it is so if you do use it, wear some slippers and be mindful of the mold.
3. Parking is horrendous after 7, which Alice explained. If you do park successfully, note that street side cleaning alternates day to day so you'll have to move your car in the morning if you find a spot on the opposite side of the road. Half an hour circling is a generous estimate on the time it takes to find parking after 7.
4. The neighborhood people keep to themselves, but if you're a little more reserved, be wary of some shady stuff that may occur around the corners.
5. There are interesting people that stay here so if you or someone else are solo travelers or have thick skin, you'll have a fun experience roughing it by NYC in this apartment.
6. The lock on the door may get jammed. Watched Alice push the main entrance forcefully with her shoulder to open it. If you're not comfortable with doing that, try to ring the doorbell and get her help as calling and messaging is a hit or miss during certain hours of the day. There was another man also locked outside in the cold when we found out about the jam. Now sure how long he was stuck outside waiting for a response after calling and messaging, but the doorbell did the trick.
7. Using Lyft or Uber to get to the Path train is a must if you want to maximize the hours of the day. Do it to save yourself that headache of driving and taking the bus. For the daily commute time and price, I think a closer place may be a better option depending on your time budget and if you're willing to weigh in the cost of convenience.
I will be honest in saying that there was a miscommunication in my part for this trip which may have also contributed to my negative experience. I originally booked this for my girlfriend and me in hopes of having a place to stay for the holidays while visiting friends and family. Due to something coming up, my girlfriend was unable to stay for half the days. I was unclear in my message to Alice and she thought only I was staying for the remainder of the days, but still took off for the two days I told her we would not be needing the room. I appreciate that refund.
However, she originally charged us $30 for an additional guest ($5/night for six nights) which was not taken off. My girlfriend did end up staying with me and since I was charged already, I didn't think anything of it. The guests spoke with Alice about the unknown person, and Alice explained to me that this was threatening to their safety which was understandable, a stranger in the apartment, but it definitely made us feel unwelcome.
When Alice found out from the other guests that my girlfriend was staying with me, she sent me a message and immediately charged us $40 ($8/night). I mentioned that we were already charged, but Alice could not remember and could not find the charge on the booking. I forwarded her the emails, found the charges under the booking, and confirmed with Airbnb that the charges were completed. Throughout this exchange, there were strongly worded messages that were excessive in the tone and they served no purpose other than to lecture me about communication and demand money. In the end, she said we did not have to pay the $40, but to avoid any conflict, I ended up paying the $40 anyways right after as a gesture since finding a new place would be a hassle so late into the holiday season.
Check-in and check-out were super easy and straightforward.
It seems like most people enjoyed their stay here, but it just wasn't right for us.