So there I was, at LaGuardia airport, without a place to stay. I hadn't booked with other hosts in time, so I was still waiting for them to get back to me. I was desperately looking everywhere around Airbnb's NYC map for a place that wouldn't torpedo my budget. Nia got back to me with a place and a palpable sense of relief washed over me.
GUEST EXPERIENCE: When I arrived, I found it was a charming, older walkup. Nia met me at the door, and gave me the lay of the land. She was very communicative and responsive through the Airbnb app the entire stay, which helped.
SHARED QUARTERS: The entire upstairs portion was for guests, and included a living room which had a separate kitchen with refrigerator, sink, and microwave as well. The tv was tuned to local channels and was perfect for unwinding after a long day exploring the city.
ROOM: I found a functional room, complete with a twin bed, a little dresser, a rack to hang clothes (complete with hangers), and a chair. It was spartan, but everything I needed. The shared bathroom had amenities like a hair dryer, but I was glad I had brought my own soap!
NOISE: Yes, one could hear the train, but its intensity depends on where one's room is. I was situated in a room to the immediate right of the door leading downstairs, so while I heard it, the noise didn't prevent me from sleeping.
The radiator does make a sound like someone using a wrench to bang on a steel pipe, but that came and went. There was another pinging noise I couldn't identify, but I was so tired it went to bed anyway.
TEMPERATURE: Since I visited in mid fall, the heat from the radiator came on rather strongly. I like to sleep a bit cold, so I just opened the window. A heavy curtain is provided, which helped stave off both heavy gusts and any prying eyes.
WIFI: The wifi was a little slow, but was likely heavily affected by the browsing habits of the other guests. I tried to do a little work, but it was rather slow in loading my Google Drive documents. Luckily, I was primarily traveling for leisure, so this was not a major impediment. I ended up leaving on my departure day and working from the airport after my trip was over.
CONCLUSION: You won't find a better value in NYC. The only thing that would have made this stay better is an individual bathroom, but it was reminiscent of college, so I suppose you could add waxing nostalgic as a benefit! Anyway, Nia is fantastic. If you have a chance to stay in Long Island City, you can't beat the proximity to the train, Midtown East, and Brooklyn. The price is unbeatable for the value you receive.