There are too many things that did not go well with this place. Here are the highlights. We also took pictures so we have proof.
1. The parking is shared in a lot that is an auto-repair shop. Hard to get in and out. When we got there, someone had the spots used with cars that needed repair. Had to wait until they moved the car to get us in. It is not the easiest to get in and out of. Then unload the vehicle, cross the street, get into the building and climb a very steep flight of stairs.
2. The house is not clean. We found dirty floors. There was dirt and a used set of playing cards left behind the couch in the main living room. There was a set of used and dirty clothing and underwear that was hidden under a shelf in the second bedroom that we found. Disgusting!
3. There was not any toilet paper in one bathroom and only a quarter roll in another. We reached out and asked the owner about it and he had someone drop off a few rolls very soon. He apologized and said that he had not checked the apartment before he rented it out.
4. There was a card in the room advertising one complimentary breakfast in the bakery downstairs. Apprently, that is useless as the bakery does not honor the breakfast voucher anymore.
5. The shower works the opposite of hot and cold in the master bedroom. If you leave the temperature at hot, its freezing cold and vice-versa.
6. The paint is peeling off the ceiling in the shower and paint chips sometimes fall into the shower.
7. One day, a maintenance man just opened the door and popped in and caught my wife and son by surprise. He only spoke Portuguese. Thankfully, my wife also speaks Portuguese and we discovered that the maintenance man had been trying to get a hold of the owner to come in and fix the pealing cieling but the owner had not contacted him back. He decided to just pop on in when my family was inside the apartment. I wrote to the owner and complained and he apologized and said he would give me $25 in credit for the bakery downstairs. He said his mother owns the bakery and he wanted to make it up for the inconvenience. Told us to go down there just give her our name and we would get the credit. Nope, no such luck. The lady was rude and we were told that there would not be any such offer honored at this place. So we left.
8. The place looks cool on the pictures. But there is a lot that cannot be seen. There are electrical outlets that are just sitting completely exposed and a shock hazard. There's doors literally falling off the cabinets in the bathroom sink. There are towel racks that are barely hanging on by a screw and no can actually use them.
9. There was a lot of exitement about riding the train thats a mile away to NYC. But its not a safe neighborhood near the train station and we found large groups of very aggressive people that challenged us as we tried to just walk past them on the sidewalk. Not the owner's fault, but it is something that people should know. Take an UBER. Its safer. The immediate neighborhood is fine and people are friendly enough.
Overall, this could be a great Airbnb if the owner spends some time and energy in fixing it up. Right now, its in a state of disrepair and neglect. I would not recommend.