Great stay! Bottom line: I would gladly stay here again.
PROS:
- COMPANY: The people at Vibe were fantastic. I had some trouble checking in (it was really cold and the key box froze), and they talked me through it and sent someone down with an extra set of keys. I also requested a few things (extra towels, etc), and they sent someone the very next day. Can't say enough good things about them.
- KITCHEN: Plenty of dishes, and a good variety of pots and pans. I had all I needed to cook.
- LOCATION: I love the UWS! Very quiet, lots of shops and restaurants, the museum is right across the street. The entire block is residential, so it is really quiet. This might be the quietest Manhattan apt I have EVER stayed in -- all the windows face an inner courtyard, or the alley between buildings. I might have heard three sirens in 8 weeks ... I slept so well!
- FOOD: Grocery shopping is really easy in this area. You have Trader Joe's, Zabar's, Fairway, and Pioneer grocery stores super close by. And Modern Bread and Bagel is just a couple of blocks away ... best gluten-free challah I have ever had!
- SPACE: This apt is HUGE by Manhattan standards. Loved the king bed; pillows and bedding were very comfy.
- SUNLIGHT: I stayed here for 8 weeks in the winter, and I got really great direct sun through the bedroom and living room windows in late morning / early afternoon.
- NEIGHBORS: The building is very friendly; people smile and say hi in the elevator, qt the mailboxes, and in the laundry room.
CONS:
- PRICE: So expensive. The UWS is an expensive neighborhoid, but this was even higher than I expected.
- FURNISHINGS: The apartment furnishings are really basic. Plastic card table in the kitchen, mostly empty white walls, no drawers for storing clothes.
- OLD: This is an old building; a couple of cracks in the walls, loud radiators, flaking kitchen cabinets.
It's not the best or worst building on the block -- just something to be aware of.
Bottom line: It's more expensive than I would usually pay, but it was worth it to me for the location.