I must admit that we got a bit of a false start when we got to the apartment. There was a lot of garbage (including a family of rats) outside and worst of all, the key that was send to us didn't work. Fortunately, a neighbor came to the rescue and let us in. With the keys in the key box we could enter the house. Probably because of the garbage outside, but inside the hall and inside the house there was a really unpleasant smell. Neil&Katie were really easy in contact and offered a lot of help (including a cleaning service asap) to solve this problem.
The apartment itself was not really what I expected, but I think I got my hopes up from all the super positive reviews. The apartment is old, and there are a lot of 'stuff' in there. Although it is clean, it doesn't feel really clean, due to old furniture etc. The bathroom could use some work.
However, besides these negatives, there are a lot of positives.
First of all, the location. Wow. You are in the best neighborhood to sleep (and thus to eat and drink and walk around etc) in. The house of the popular show 'Friends' and the house of Carrie from ‘SATC’ is just around the corner. There are a million nice bars, coffee shops and it is just lovely to walk around. The apartment is 'big', with two separate bedrooms (the bed I slept on was really good!!) and a big living area. As stated in the description, there is noise from outside, but just bring your earplugs and you will be okay.
And one thing you do not want to miss; the rooftop! The view is extraordinary. As stated in the description, it is “unfinished”, but that is half the charm. Just take a beer and a book upstairs, don’t get your hopes up, and enjoy the view and the feeling that you are really really really in New York.
Neil&Kate were great hosts, even though I didn’t get to see them in person. It is easy to get in contact with them and they are really helpful.
To make a long story short; I would love to stay with Neil&Kate again, but not in this apartment.