Overall a nice space for the money, I was one of Gail's first guests so the issues I had will probably be worked out by the next guest or two. Lots of space, heat worked well (I was here in a chilly October), the wood floor is lovely and makes the space seem lighter. It is a basement apartment with almost no daylight but that makes it nicely private, quiet and dark for sleeping at night. The lighting was nice and bright. Not much traffic noise either. The two twin beds together wouldn't work for a couple who like to snuggle, but would be excellent for two friends who want separate beds or a couple who like space in bed. The kitchen space itself is nice, but was not set up for actual cooking, which was an issue for me. Maybe she will decide not to list it as an amenity in future. Gail is a working mother and seemed very busy so she is not going to be the host who spends lots of time hand-holding the guests and giving neighborhood tours.
The kitchen is the reason for 4 stars instead of 5. I need to have use of a kitchen--I have food allergies and can't risk eating in strange restaurants. The amenities Gail listed did include a kitchen and the photos showed it as a nice one. It was just like in the photos, the stove worked well, but it was difficult to cook since there were no pots/pans or cutting board, no knives aside from the plastic eating utensils, no dish-drying rack, no salt, pepper, or oil. Not even a microwave for those who want to re-heat take out. If you are going to list a kitchen as an amenity and show it in the photos, you really need to provide the basics for a traveler to be able to make use of it. (If you fly it is hard to cart around pans, knives, and cooking oil; impossible if you use carry-on). When I asked her where I could get good produce, she seemed astonished that anyone would actually want to cook (!?!) in the kitchen. (If the kitchen is still listed, try Fresh Meadows Natural on the corner of 73rd and 188th, small but good quality produce, eggs and poultry).
Also, she still had her laundry room and office in the guest space, so she had to arrange with me when I would be out so she could stop in to get things. She said she would probably move the office and laundry so that should not be an issue for future guests.