Everything about this Airbnb was professional and easy, from initial enquiry communication to arrival and departure. Stop looking at other NYC listings, & just book this one! The host: Deborah was fantastic. Effortless communication, prompt and effective. Deborah was there to greet us on arrival, gave us a really good introduction to the apartment & had a really helpful list of recommendations for places in the neighbourhood to eat, drink & get a good cup of coffee! I had to contact her for a trivial matter during the stay and she was on it immediately. We were grateful for this. A flight delay meant we needed to keep our bags in the apartment post check out & she made this happen also. Again, grateful for the ease with which this was handled. It's just a really professional experience. The apartment: fantastic. The back garden is so private and an absolute oasis in the city. The living room (and sofa and television) is huge, so what with the back garden and the living room, we really felt like we had our own space. So important, considering we were there for 12 days. There were only 2 of us staying, but 2 couples could easily stay here & feel the space. To be expected in the city, there was some noise when in the living room at night, but once we went to our bedrooms and closed the doors, it was quiet as. We both slept really well, and were actually amazed at how quiet the bedrooms were! You want for nothing in this apartment, it's all there & it all works! My favourite thing though was the back garden. After busy days exploring the city, to be able to head out the back to a peaceful, quiet & private outdoor space with a glass of wine was just the best. The neighbourhood: fun, vibrant and exciting. So easy to explore the city with a bus virtually at the front door, but we chose the interesting 10 minute easy stroll to the subway (a different route each day to make sure we didn't miss a thing!) as our means to get around. Just around the corner there's a supermarket, a good car service we used to get back to JFK, and heaps of places to pick up something for dinner if you're staying in. But don't stay in too many times, as the restaurants & bars in the area are so worth exploring! Be sure to visit some of the places Deborah recommends, she clearly knows this neighbourhood & has good taste! We found ourselves walking so many places... a 25 minute easy walk & you're in SOHO. A 15 minute stroll down the road and you're walking past Katz's deli. And I mean stroll. We were in no hurry so just walked slowly and took it all in. Like other people who've been lucky enough to stay at this east village gem, I really hope to visit again someday. The apartment...