The Listing: Note, the host will charge you extra if you want to use the kitchen and she also wanted to charge us extra for "electricity".
The Place: Cramped, at one point 7 people were sharing 1 bathroom. The room had just enough floorspace to squeeze between beds and there was no closet or dresser space (they are filled with the host's items). There was a mosquito problem the first few weeks we were there that only went away when the temperatures dropped below 60F.
The Host: Julia is a very opinionated woman who will vocalize her thoughts on your living habits. She accused my parents of raising me "without hygiene" because I brushed my teeth in the kitchen sink while someone was showering in the bathroom. She called me "dirty" because I didn't immediately wash my hands when I walked into the house and "disrespectful" when she saw that I slept in a sports bra. There were several times she imposed previously unknown rules like "no walking into the kitchen with wet hair after taking a shower" or "you must wash your hands every time before opening the refrigerator". You will also interact with her husband, her daughter, her granddaughter, family/friends who visit frequently, and other AirBnB guests who stay in the basement.
The Location: Close to the B12 bus stop and the Gun Hill Rd metro station. 10min walk from Jacobi Medical Center. FAR from the city (45min to Harlem, 1hr to Upper East Side, 1.5hrs to Midtown, 2hrs to Lower Manhattan).
Value: Affordable if split between 2 people. More suitable for people staying just a weekend who will not be spending much time in the apartment. I am a medical student who stayed for a whole month and had trouble finding comfort in a crowded home with limited amenities and a host that disapproved of my living habits.