I got the opportunity to stay at Shawn’s cozy place for 10 weeks, and these are the pros/cons I have:
Pros:
- Location: very close to supermarket, CVS, laundromat, subway, and to the wonderful Apollo Theatre
- Community: Coming from a young woman, I would rate this a relatively safe area during daylight hours, as I never had an issue when out and about. The Harlem community is very welcoming, and I developed a few connections with the people at the local restaurants, markets, etc
- Apartment: very spacious compared to some of the units around the area; didn’t hear much from neighbors so it was relatively quiet pretty much all the time. The kitchen is equipped with everything you need, and the bathroom is relatively sized.
- Atmosphere: Shawn has lots of wonderful art and artifacts, making for a unique and exciting vibe instead of just a drab apartment.
Cons:
- Apartment is on the fifth floor (specified in description) which makes getting groceries and laundry cumbersome to get up and down (if your knees aren’t as young as they used to be)
- The unit was really dusty, which caused some enhanced allergies/ respiratory difficulties for me
- Unit is older, so there is some wear and tear not evident in photos
- There’s not a lot of room to store your things if you’re going to stay for a while
- Water pressure isn’t the best but it’s doable, so if that’s not an important factor for you, it shouldn’t be a big problem
I am glad that I got the opportunity to explore both Harlem and NYC at Shawn’s place, and will remember this trip for years to come.