I'll start with the main point one must always ask after having stayed at an airbnb - will I stay there again? In the case the answer is absolutely yes.
Location: In NYC what really matters is what is within walking distance, and Rinaldo's place is situated quite nicely. If you fly into LaGuardia you have the convenient option of taking the M60 bus from the airport to 125th & Frederick Douglas Avenue and then having a very short walk to the condo - saving yourself enough vs an Uber to have a nice dinner as a reward!
There are three metro stops that surround Rinaldo's place
- 116th & Frederick Douglas Ave
- 116th & Malcolm X Blvd
- 125th & Manhattan Ave
Using the above Metro stops you can get just about anywhere in 30 minutes or less. Rinaldo's place is clearly uptown - our main activity was downtown - we averaged about 35 minutes getting there door-to-door.
There are quite a few grocery store options close by. A Lidl on Frederick Douglas Blvd, a Whole Foods at 125th & Malcom X Blvd and a Fine Fare Supermarket at 117th & Malcolm X Blvd. Additionally there are a number of CVS and small bodegas sprinkled around.
If you are up for dining out Rinaldo can also give you some suggestions for local places all within walking distance. My daughter's favorite ended up being pizza from Sottocasa on Malcolm X Blvd.
The condo is on the top floor of the building, so no one walking across your ceiling while you are trying to sleep. Top floor in this case is the 5th floor, so if you don't wish to take the elevator then the stairs are a solid option.
The area in general is safe - neither I nor my daughter had any issues at all, and the neighbors we met in the building were extremely nice. None-the-less the building is kept secure. Bottom line is I had no concerns in the condo or when my daughter ventured out on her own to run to a bodega for a treat.
One key item for me was having convenient laundry. We had laundry to do every - single - day - ugh! It was fabulous to not need to leave the condo to do it. However, if you have a LOT of laundry Rinaldo did point out a laundry room with lots of washers & dryers in the basement of the building. This for me was a big plus.
The condo has two bedrooms with super comfortable Tempurpedic mattresses and pillows. I slept amazingly well every night on these. He also has a futon in the living room if you need for an additional guest.
There is a TV in the main room and in each bedroom. We didn't use the TVs in the bedrooms so no comment on those. The TV in the main room had a good selection of cable channels and the Netflix app installed. Good picture and sound if wish to simply veg for a bit.
The kitchen is nice and Rinaldo was gracious in letting us use whatever oils, spices, etc. needed for cooking. He also left us more than enough space in the refrigerator for our items. I had no issues preparing meals for my daughter and I for the two weeks we stayed.
While my daughter had fun activities to go do every day I was sadly stuck working the entire time. The kitchen table worked quite well as a desk and the wifi was strong enough and fast enough I had no issues to do normal work activities, including internet video calls.
RInaldo's place is air conditioned - a must have as there was a heat wave while we visited. It was very refreshing to come in from the heat to a nice air conditioned space.
The pictures provided in the add are accurate - those that aren't are because he has updated a bit - so nicer than what is shown ;) His place was very clean upon arrival and check in was simple and easy. Check out was even simpler!
Communication with Rinaldo in advance of our stay, on our day of arrival and during the stay was excellent. He was quick to respond, professional in communication and informative regarding whatever we needed.
All-in-all I'll finish where I started - if I were to return to NY I would not hesitate to stay at Rinaldo's place again.