I stayed at Gya's spot for 6 weeks and had a great stay! Some things I really loved:
- it is so much space! I felt really lucky to land a spacious apartment that when my NYC friends visited they were impressed with how much space the apartment is. The bed (mattress & pillows) were very comfortable. I also really liked the futon in the living room since it was a great place to rest and hang out. Kitchen is also a good size (esp for NYC) and is fully equipped with all the pots/pans/spices you may need.
- Gya is very communicative. She was out of town for a lot of my stay so we communicated via text and she was always quick to respond. If any issues came up, she was quick to have someone over to assist. Her friends who came by to help were all very friendly and nice. Just make sure to be direct and communicate clearly!
- Another highlight of the stay was getting to meet the upstairs neighbor, Mr. Archer - he assisted me when some things came up (he is also often just around the building assisting with tasks). He is a very nice and kind person, so I was glad to have gotten to meet him.
- The apartment is in a great location right by Nostrand Ave in Crown Heights. It's a 10 minute walk to the 3 train which goes right into downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan. And just a bit further is the 2 line which also goes into downtown Bk and Manhattan. It was quite convenient to access the metro and get around. The neighborhood is FILLED with so many food, cafe, and grocery spots. There were so many brunch places that were very yummy. One of my faves was Rosalia's cafe (on the more affordable end and great quality food). The laundromat is also just a 5 min walk away and very easy to navigate and use (you can get a laundry card there + need cash to fill it up).
Some things to be aware of in terms of the Airbnb - it is a prewar building so keep in mind that you are living in a older building in NYC which means being careful with a few things! 1) Being very careful about food waste and not letting things sit out, since it would attract pests. 2) Sound! I actually barely heard my side neighbors and upstairs neighbors so I didn't know how bad the acoustics can get, but I did learn that I was sometimes loud and it affected my downstairs neighbor (esp in the bedroom) so just keep in mind to be sensitive around that. 3) It's an old building so the heating is building controlled so it comes on when it does. Gya's friend was kind to lend me a portable heater that I used when I got a little cold. I noticed that in December the heating came on a lot more frequently than it did in November. Also, the radiator in the bedroom can get a bit loud, so just keep that in mind if you're a light sleeper. But it never bothered me 5) Lastly, as a review mentioned before, there is not much natural light within this section of the home. There is some, but the spaces never get direct sunlight. I worked from home in later hours (12p-8p) in winter so I had to be intentional about leaving in the mornings to get sunlight otherwise it was kind of lights-on all day kinda thing. 6) Lastly, the Wifi is not the strongest sometimes. it worked fine and i was able to work from home on my laptop, but I did use my data a lot on my phone. This might be building specific fyi, but just know wifi is workable.
Overall, really enjoyed my stay here and will def miss it! It felt like home in Brooklyn and was glad to have such a spot to land.