Sophie was a wonderful host! From the moment I arrived at the door she welcomed me into her home and hugged me like we'd met a thousand times before. She provided snacks in my room and drinks in the fridge just for me! It was great to come "home" after a long morning of traveling in the heat. Sophie lets guests leave their bags if they arrive before check-in or plan to leave after check-out, which was a great convenience to me since I planned to arrive at noon and wanted to explore. Upon arrival, Sophie actually cleaned my room right away so that I could have access to it before check-in time. She chatted with me the whole time, telling me about her family, her time in Brooklyn and about her yoga, wellness and meditation practices. We had tons in common, and I wished I had more time to spend with her! She provided touristy NYC magazines and maps and was quick to give travel suggestions and knows the subway like the back of her hand. She even offered for me to go with her to the pool!

The apartment was as described - looks recently renovated, everything was spic and span. My bedroom door locked and I even had a locking cubby by the bathroom to store my toiletries (shared bathroom was also very clean - you wouldn't know anyone else used it). There was also a shared kitchen and common area which was nice to have and AC units kept the place cool. I had keys to my bedroom and cubby and a personal passcode for the front door. Since Sophie lives downstairs in a separate apartment, I actually did not see her or anyone else staying in the apartment for the rest of the weekend. It almost felt like I had the place to myself.

I had never been to this area of Brooklyn before and wish I had more time to explore and go see the promenade. The aesthetic reminded me a lot of where I am from in Richmond, Va. Lots of apartments and small houses, shops, markets, restaurants, cafe's...busy as you would expect but not anything like Manhattan. The subway was a couple blocks away from the apartment which was convenient - the R train took me right where I needed to go for a conference I was attending.

I would highly recommend staying with Sophie, she was a phenomenal host, true to her posting and goes above and beyond for the guest. I am already planning my next stay in Brooklyn for October!