My husband and I had a great stay at Anna and Michael’s studio. We did not meet our hosts personally, but they communicated with us very well and the self check-in was well explained and very easy.
The apartment looks just like the pictures and felt very spacious for a studio apartment. The bed was comfy, and it was much quieter than we expected it to be, considering the place is on the 2nd floor above a pretty noisy street.
For those not familiar with the East Village, St. Mark’s Place may be off-putting for some people, considering all the graffiti, noise, and eclectic characters that abound. It may not be the kind of place you’d want to go with your young children, for example. However, if you dig the scene, it’s really quite an amazing place to be. The East Village is just oozing with character and authenticity. The creative spirit is everywhere, and it just seeps into your pores. Within a five or ten minute walk, you can get amazing cuisine from almost any country imaginable, cooked by people who are actually from there. Most places are casual and not expensive. Also, there are lots of very hip bars and clubs, a great local music scene, and cool little shops that you’d never see anywhere else. I used to live in the East Village years ago, and I loved my old neighborhood so much that I go back and visit whenever I can. Like I said before, those not familiar with the scene may find it a little gritty at first; but believe me, beyond the somewhat rough exterior, you’ll find a lot of interesting, free-thinking, creative, kind people with hearts of gold. St. Mark’s Place, in particular, is the epicenter and heartbeat of the East Village: there is absolutely no other place that epitomizes this eclectic neighborhood as well as the exact block that this apartment is on. It’s a very special place!