The apt. is comfortable and as pictured, perhaps is even more spacious than I expected. Yes, don't expect great luxuries but for New York and for the price is a very good option.
Pros: Good location, although it is Uptown and it is not the most touristy area, the subway is 5 minutes away walking and the express trains are about 7 minutes away, so you can reach the most central points quite quickly. The area has everything, from delis, drugstores, supermarkets, and enough places to eat. The area is safe, busy and very live. The apartment has a good size for two people. The bathroom is spacious, the shower has good pressure, the bed is comfortable, there is a television and the internet works without a problem.
Cons: There is not much space to store things (and the closet was a bit full but I organized it and I was able to store everything without a problem), there aren't any drawers, which for me is important. There is not much light nor very ventilated so the smell is enclosed, and at night the kitchen has a light that barely allows you to see (I thought it did not worked but the host told me that it was intentional to be like a lounge area), but there is a lamp (without a light bulb) that serves to give better light. There are few basic kitchen utensils, but there are 3 coffee makers but no tea spoons (for example). The apartment is on the 3rd floor and the stairs are a bit steep. I had no problem but consider it if you bring large or heavy luggage.
That's the basic review with not very specific details.
But the truth is I had a bad experience during my stay and here are the details...
The apt. itself is convenient for a pleasant stay in NY, the problem is that, at least during my stay, was dirty and didn't fulfill the basic cleaning standards expected in an airbnb. I was charged a cleaning fee and check in is until 6pm precisely so that there is time to clean it. Firstly it needs an urgent deep cleaning. The bathroom was not clean, I found the toilet not flushed, dirty, there was hair in the tub and elsewhere. Some furniture was very dusty and it was very obvious that it had not been cleaned. A little bit cluttered. Kitchen quite dirty, all silverware felt sticky. I went through the drawer and there was even a rusty callus remover that wouldn't have to go there. I know it's New York and no one is exempt from having roaches, but every day I had to kill about three, fortunately they were the little ones, and there were also many fruit flies. The microwave was not cleaned either. Fortunately the towels and sheets were clean. But the only blanket provided smelled bad (B.O.) and had animal hair (I suppose dog hair). The host requires that no shoes be worn inside the apartment, which I always respected, but my socks were full of pet hair, same as my clothes and even my suitcase. I checked in late and I do not like being in a place where I do not feel comfortable so I started cleaning and left everything in order. Since it was late I didn't bother the host, but I wanted to have everything in order to enjoy the rest of my trip.
The next day I contacted the host. I sent photos, and my intention was to fix this the best way possible, everybody makes mistakes. I am a super host and I have been part of the airbnb community for years and I have also stayed in different parts of the world from all budgets and characteristics, several times in NY (I actually lived in NY for 7 years) and its my first time complaining. I was never rude or demanded anything. Just communicate that cleaning was not as expected and that there was not enough light in the kitchen and maybe the bulb was not working properly.
His answer surprised me. I thought he would apologize or try to fix things, but he was very rude, he started saying "well, if you don't like it, cancel." As if it were so easy to find affordable accommodation in NY last minute, besides I was already settled, and when you go on vacation the last thing you want is to be dealing with this type of things. He sent me several non empathic messages. "Welcome to NY" as if I did not know what to expect or did not know the city (in fact I lived several months a few blocks from there so I know the hood). He told me that nobody uses the kitchen. If the place offers a kitchen, and others do not use it does not mean that I won't use it. He told me there wasn't anybody around who could go, that I was only going to stay 11 nights and had guests who stayed longer (as if my stay was not worth or was not enough). That they were small details but it's not a 5-star hotel, just a simple apartment in Harlem. That he didn't have time to see these things because he was on vacation.
With such answer and attitude, I contacted airbnb customer service. I was on the phone for a long time, they read all the messages, they agreed with me, and the only thing they could do was to refund the cleaning fee and that they would talk with him about his attitude with guests. Like I said, this is the first time I had a bad experience. So if you are looking for a clean place with a host that can respond to any eventuality, this is definitely not the place. Hopefully the comments will help him have a better attitude and take care of those details because the apartment is a very good