I'm giving this a 3-star rating--because with a few "upgrades" this could be a superior experience. This is a spacious and bright garden-level apartment with lots of original details -- and there is a lot to like. But, overall, it needs a bit of "spit and polish."
- A fully-equipped kitchen if you want to reheat or prep a meal. Downside: no dish soap so we couldn't wash our own dishes :--( Maybe it was there but I couldn't locate it.
- Coffeemaker AND french press! Downside: if you need coffee first thing like I do, you better stop and buy some beans before you check in-- there's a great coffee shop on Fulton where you can buy them.
- Washer & Dryer! We were here for 6 nights so it was great to wash clothes.
- No washcloths, but plenty of extra pillows, blankets, etc. We didn't need, but nice to have them there. No washcloths, though.
- TV. There isn't cable so you can't catch the news (would have been nice as the Brussels attacks had just happened) but there is a DVD player and Alison was kind enough to bring newly released movies.
- Cool vintage clawfoot bathtub. Perfect for a leisurely bath (or shower). Downside: The tub and sink weren't as clean as I'd like. After running the NYC Half-Marathon, I wanted a bath and had to scour the build-up off the bottom of the tub. Bathroom sink needed a little love, too. And a sink-stopper would be great (I couldn't find it, perhaps it was there) for face washing. Downside: there were little used bars of soap in the bathroom and leftover toiletries (i.e. facial toner).
- If you need it, bring a magnifying make-up mirror -- as the mirror in the bathroom is small and for us "older" gals, it's hard to see what you're doing.
- Nice notebook with all info about neighborhood. Best shops / restaurants are to the right on Fulton.