LOCATION: Upper East Side-perfect to explore interesting and diverse neighborhoods. Super close to Central Park-I had not explored that area of Central Park before and there is a ton of cool stuff there-including a small lake, the swimming pool/ice skating rink (in winter), a small water fall, and great people watching! This is a working/living neighborhood-and I loved getting to know the vendors at the Cherry Gourmet bodega just up the street and chatting with the neighbors on their way home from work. Very close to Mt. Sinai hospital.
Uber or taxi about $10-20 from Times Square depending on traffic, etc; about 5-10m walk (depending how fast you walk) to several subway stations that can get you anyplace you need to go very easily!
HOUSE: BEAUTIFUL 3 story row home with basement. We wanted the classic New York neighborhood experience and we got it-worlds away from the glory and chaos of Times Square (but you can get there in only a few stops!). This is a family home-and it feels like that for sure! Plenty of rooms and space, they actually have TWO kitchens there now-and lots of room for people to sleep, read, watch TV (if you need to!), and excellent WiFi. The appliances are top notch and easy to use, the furniture is comfortable, and it was perfect for for our family of two adults and two teens. There is a small back yard which is a good place to read!
It is an older house, and there are some pretty steep and narrow stairs-so if somebody had mobility issues or trouble hauling suitcases up flights of stairs I can see how that would be an issue. IF you were traveling with young children the stairs might be an issue as well-the owner mentions that in her site.
HOST: We use AirBnB quite often-and this was one of the best host experiences we have had. I was contacted by owner immediately after reserving the house. Her brother manages the check in process-he texted me about 1 month prior to give contact info, etc-then reached out about one week prior to our stay to give details. He met us at the house with fresh flowers (!), gave us a tour, made sure we knew where to eat and shop for groceries, and checked in on us several times throughout the stay with a quick text just to make sure we were doing OK. It was a GREAT experience!
TIPS: Cherry Gourmet is a fun little grocery store for quick stuff and good deli sandwiches with really friendly service. The Rochard is a really good neighborhood bar with friendly service, nice decor, good cocktails and a wide beer selection. There are a ton of pharmacies close by. IF you are in Times Square area and need a brief respite-there is this little bar called The Hold Fast and it is definitely worth a trip!