Note: this is Babette's daughter writing, who stayed with Laurie.
I, along with a friend, stayed on the bottom floor of Laurie's apartment. I was in New York for 4 weeks for a summer dance program, and Laurie really made it feel like home for me. She was always there to talk too if I needed anything, or simply just to talk to. She also went above and beyond with me and my friend, and would take us over to the co-op for grocery shopping, since we were there for an extended stay. Also, the provided breakfast items in the morning along with a full kitchen is a big plus!
Laurie was very helpful with letting us know what events were going on in the area (free concerts and activities in the park, live music at restaurants/bars, etc), what to see, and good restaurants that were close by. Both my friend and I did a lot of exploring on the weekends. The F line is also 2-3 blocks away, which is extremely convenient (my friend and I were traveling into Manhattan every day for our program).
In terms of the apartment itself, the place was in good condition. I slept in the living room space on the pull out bed; however, I still found it comfortable. The kitchen has a lot of natural light, which is nice, and it looks out on the beautiful garden that she has in the back. The washer and dryer is also located on this floor of the house, which made it really easy to get laundry done.
Overall, staying at Laurie's was great and I would definitely stay with her again!