My family and I (5) stayed here from March 16-21, traveling from California. Can’t say enough great things about this place! The listed description is exactly what you get and more. Great place. All the amenities of home. Clean and comfortable!
Pros- clean and comfortable. 4 bedrooms- huge space for a NY apartment. Lots of stairs but worth it.
-easy least check in. Rafael was great at providing us with the codes for a simple check-in.
-kitchen has all the necessary cookware. Big kitchen with a nice window overlooking the backyard. Make sure you open the window when u cook- the fire alarm tends to go off even when it gets too hot in the kitchen.
- neighborhood has many eateries right outside. Grocery store across the street. Liquor store as well. Neighborhood looks a a little sketchy but we felt safe. No issues at all.
-wonderful communication with Rafael and his wife. They went above and beyond to make sure the answered our questions immediately and pointed us in the right direction for things we needed. Even was thoughtful enough to put out umbrellas for me and my family! 🙏🏾❤️
- heating and AC worked well. We were there during the cold period and the heat came on instantly. Nice and cozy!
- plenty of towels and extra blankets. Plus complimentary toiletries and some food items. We made sure to try and leave some stuff to pass along to the next guest as well.
-bathrooms are small- only one shower tub combo- but big enough to take care of your personal needs.
-plenty of closet space and dresser space as well. Floors are wood so make sure to bring flip flops or house shoes if you don’t like it.
-walking distance to ferry (about 10-15 minutes) also bus locations are right outside the front door.
-3 televisions in the whole unit. 2 downstairs (main bedroom and living room) one upstairs in the main bedroom. Wi-Fi worked very well. Kids were able to do their homework with no issues.
-nice sized refrigerator and oven. Only issue was no cookware for baking so we bought some tin lined cookware.
Cons- it’s the city- expect a lot of noise outside. Didn’t bother us but may bother some.
-shower doesn’t have a lot of pressure. Even when you adjust the head- sort of a soft spray.
-no washer or dryer so be prepared to go to the laundromat. We found a great one around the corner- at Rafael’s suggestion- took about 22lbs of laundry in- paid $23 for them to wash and fold it! Not bad at all.
-as I said before- lots and lots of stairs. Wasn’t an issue for us at all but might be for some. About 10-12 steps outside. There’s about 15 up to the first floor. Then another 12-15 to the second level. And small steps and a little steep so be careful if decide to party hard! 🤣🤣
-parking can be an issue but Rafael makes that very clear. We parked on Minthorne at night- but you have to beat people to the spot. It’s usually ok if you get there before midnight or so. But if not- beware! Parking is like almost $5 every two hours during the day until 7pm. And trust me, the police are checking!
Overall, a terrific find on Staten Island! We were very pleased with our stay. We had friends over who stayed at an Airbnb near us who paid way more than us for a much smaller place and uncomfortable furniture. Our friend liked the place and said it “felt cozy and like home”. Our kiddos -ages 10-13-14- loved it. Rafael had some board games and plenty of books to read. We will definitely return this summer and give Rafael referrals for his place. Thanks again, Rafael and Ivona! A true gem in the heart of Staten Island!!