Gen was a warm and welcoming host and we got along really well! She was extremely generous, providing towels and travel toiletries, occasionally a beautiful home cooked meal, and generally whatever else I needed to make my stay comfortable. She is knowledgeable about the city in general and was very helpful when I needed advice of any kind. I stayed here for 3 weeks and will have a friend for life.

I think it should be noted that Gen has a small baby and two cats :) this was not a problem for me, as the baby is well behaved and extremely loveable, and the cats stay outside of the flat so you rarely need to encounter them if you are not a cat person (like me). Otherwise, my stay was good.

I will say that the area is not exactly pristine... however, I did not have any problems regarding safety while I was there (although it was a bit of culture shock when I arrived in Washington Heights). In terms of convenience, it is great though. The 1 train is directly across the road (and 1 stop away from the A Express train)... you can get anywhere in the city from here. It is also particularly convenient if you are visiting the Columbia medical school/centre (or the Mailman School of Public Health as I was)... just 10 blocks away (and 1 quick subway stop).