Staying at Mary Sue’s place was an absolute pleasure. This was our fourth time to NYC, and we will absolutely stay with her again.
First, the room. It is exactly as shown. Queen size, very comfortable bed with lots of pillows and soft comfy sheets. There is lots of space in the room, which includes a full chest of drawers for you to store your clothes, as well as a small closet just outside the room for hanging items. The room overlooks West End Avenue, so you do get street noise. But that’s the case wherever you are in New York. If noise bothers you generally, then pack earplugs (I always sleep with them, and they were just fine here). The room is quite large by NY standards - much bigger than what you’d get in a hotel.
As she states, Mary Sue isn’t around a lot, so we had the apartment to ourselves most of the time. She has a great little kitchen, and encouraged us to use whatever spices she had on hand (and she has an impressive collection). She had everything you’d ever need - coffee maker, toaster, pots, pans, dishes, knives, cutlery, etc. There are a couple of grocery stores close by so it’s easy to grab a few things and at least have a healthy breakfast at home before heading out. There is one bathroom, which is shared. But again, she wasn’t around a lot, so we never had to juggle.
Now the neighbourhood. In short, it’s fantastic. A couple of blocks away on Broadway is the subway station - and 72nd Street is a stop where all of the 1, 2, and 3 lines stop. There are tons of restaurants and shops within a few blocks. And if you walk in the other direction, the apartment is just 3 short blocks from Riverside Park. It’s very safe (I often walked by myself and felt perfectly comfortable). And finally, it’s a stunning neighbourhood. The architecture is truly incredible.
Finally, our host. For most of our 10 days, we didn’t see much of Mary Sue. But she was around a bit more on our last couple of days. I had the pleasure of spending about an hour talking with her on our second-last morning, and can tell you she is truly one of the loveliest people I’ve met in ages. Kind, smart, engaging, and so interesting. I only wish I had seen her more often throughout our stay.
I recognize this is a long review. But there are just so many great things to say about Mary Sue and her place. We have stayed in other parts of the city and with other hosts in the past, but this is the first time we felt we really hit the jackpot - with the apartment, the location, and the most incredible host.