Niki's place was an absolutely perfect place to stay in the Lower East Side, and it was easily one of the best AirBnBs I have stayed at for all the right reasons.
Quick breakdown:
Location - The location was perfect. It was off of the main drags of the Lower East Side that had most of the noise/bars while still being literally a block or two from those drags. It was also close to public transit, grocery options, and some great coffee shops. You really felt like you were in the heart of the Lower East Side and all the energy and culture that comes with it.
The Apartment - The apartment was spotless, accessible, and stocked with everything we could have needed and more. It is on the fourth floor of a five-story walk-up, so be prepared for stairs (though these were kind of appreciated after late night pizza). Niki made sure to have plenty of heaters, fans, and blankets available, so it was easy to adjust to the Spring weather during our stay (50-60 degrees for half the trip, 30-40s for the other half). While you can hear a bit of street noise out in the main living space (which was honestly kind of appreciated), once you close the door to the bedroom, all of that noise is completely shut out. Also, the bed was super comfy, including the pillows. Needless to say, we had zero issue sleeping the whole trip, including on Friday and Saturday nights. Finally, while there were upstairs neighbors, we couldn't hear them very much at all, other than some stray heavy footsteps.
Check-In/Out - Niki made the check-in and check-out processes a breeze. She provided ample detail and explanation for the entire process far in advance to our reservation, and she checked in with us frequently during our first day to ensure that everything worked out and to answer any questions. Niki was also incredibly generous in letting us check in two hours early to coincide with our flights getting in early, which made all the difference for us not having to carry around bags our first afternoon.
Communication - Niki was incredibly responsive during the entire process. She answered every question that we had in a timely and complete manner, provided a literal PDF with instructions, recommendations, and help to us before we arrived, and she was accommodating to us arriving earlier than expected. Moreover, Niki's interactions through the entire process were professional, polite, and genuinely kind.
Overall, the apartment was fantastic, Niki was even better, and New York was New York. 10/10 would stay again in a heartbeat.