I stayed at James' apartment for 10 nights with a friend during mid May.

We found the apartment to be clean, cosy, comfortable and well equipped. Small by some standards, it was ample space for 2 people, especially since we didn't spend much time there. The kitchenette allowed us to make breakfast and save money. However we chose not to cook dinner because there simply too many amazing restaurants/bars to explore in the city, but at least there was the option.

The apartment is QUIET as it's located at the back of the block, so minimal street noise – most unusual in NYC! I think the whole time we saw 2 other people in the block. The bed was super comfy, like sleeping in a cloud! However we did find the the sofa bed to be uncomfortable – but then sofa beds usually are. This is something to consider if you have a long term stay. When we discussed this with James midway through our stay, he did his best to rectify this and offered to purchase a new topper which was appreciated. Having access to a coin laundry in the building was very handy.

On a slightly negative note, we found the common areas of the apartment block to be a bit rundown. In our opinion, we thought the apartment itself could do with just a little bit of work to bring it up to scratch. Nothing a good lick of paint wouldn’t fix though! A few small issues have been fed back to the owner directly.

Location wise, being located in midtown the apartment was very central. It's about a 10 min walk to the High Line and Chelsea Markets, a 5 min walk to Madison Square Gardens and the shopping precinct of 34th Street. A medium-sized supermarket is located no more than a 5 min walk on 9th Ave - handy for essentials or to do your own cooking. With only a 5 min walk to the entrance of transport hub of Penn Station, we literally had access to all NYC boroughs and beyond on our doorstep!

Whilst we found the immediate area a little lacking in terms of foodie options, we did love the Molly Wee Pub on 8th Ave and 30th St which became our local. A fun Irish pub open until the wee hours serving hearty meals and great conversation from the bar tender Paul!

James is a friendly and helpful guy who was very responsive to our questions and requests before and during our stay and we would like to say a big thanks to him for being a such a welcoming host.

PS: A little tip for travellers - download the "Citymapper" app which was invaluable in helping us to navigate the city. A to B journey planner with ETA including all modes (tube/subway, bus, rail, ferry, bike/car sharing, Uber). Real-time departures. Transport maps. Line status and real-time disruption alerts. Uber integration. Live cycle hire info. Constant updates.