I have a confession to make: I don’t want to give Athena a glowing review. If I do, she’ll become even more popular and I’ll never be able to book with her again. Alas, honesty wins out. First, her Midtown apartment is beautifully located and it’s easy to walk to 5th Avenue and a variety of the most popular tourist sites. The neighborhood feels safe and upscale. Second, the interior of her apartment looks like something out of Architectural Digest. Athena has added many upgrades so that the finishes and décor are well above the average rental. The bed is comfy and she has iPhone chargers handily available. And then there’s Athena herself, the quintessential New Yorker with wide knowledge of the city. She’s thoughtful; she orders flower arrangements for the dining table to greet you as you come in, and she had fresh fruit available for us. Athena has a firecracker of a personality and is utterly delightful; my only regret is that I didn’t have more free time to just sit and chat with her. We were here for a quickie three-day weekend, but we’ll definitely be back – if she can fit us in her calendar!

P.S. The reviewer who criticized Athena for smoke in her apartment was off the wall. Athena doesn’t smoke and there’s absolutely no smoky smell whatsoever in her apartment.