I had a good experience staying in Jersey City. I did not have the chance to meet Manuel, but I did meet Yomara and her mother. We arrived at 2pm and they were still getting the room together, but graciously accepted. Yomara is a gentle, sweet soul who went above and beyond in making sure that me and my daughter had a great stay.

The three rooms are probably 750-800 sq metres in space and had everything that I needed. The hosts supplied utensils, towels, toiletries, and a few snacks.

The immediate vicinity is a little gritty, but definitely safe. Since I had my car, I drove to Journal Sq, but the PATH station is probably 1-1.5 miles away. Parking was fine for me, even when I came back late at night, as I found something a block away. Once I was on the PATH, it took about 20 minutes to enter the city as all trains went through Hoboken. If it was a weekday, it would have only been 7-10 minutes as the World Trade Center station would have been open.

I was only there for one night, but would come back. The only downside (it's not exactly the host's fault) was that it was really cold the night we stayed there. The hosts provided the appropriate bedding and we were warm and comfy in our beds, but the apartment felt a little cold. This was also the coldest night of the year so far, so it was extremely cold outside. If you're looking for a place where you can control the temperature, this won't be the place for you. On the other hand, the hosts were extremely gracious and I truly liked the feeling of being in a brownstone. I didn't regret choosing this place.