Manhattan is certainly a subjective experience. But if you want to feel as part of the City and live like a local for the time of your stay, then look no further. Mariko’s place is located so wonderfully in the Upper West Side with extraordinary restaurants, delis, markets, museums, Lincoln Center... It’s just a very delightful experience of this great city from the particular perspective of a New Yorker.
The apartment is great, spacious (by New York standards), nicely priced, well equipped, clean, and adequate in temperature.
It is however on a brownstone and in the fourth floor without an elevator so you’ll have to climb those stairs every time you go down and realize you might have forgotten something... In our case though, we loved it since it helped us keep our weight even as we were eating wonderful high-calorie food in all the great places around the area. It also gave us great cardiovascular condition. Be mindful, however, about luggage because you will certainly have to carry it upstairs...
Mariko and her husband are excellent hosts. Very respectful of your space, extremely efficient in responding to whatever need might arise, very thoughtful of the proximity (their apartment is next door, literally door to door).
The area is quite peaceful and quiet (again, by NYC standards) while being only a few blocks away from the very busy Midtown area and Central Park.
In summary, it was a great experience!!! We recommend it and would definitely stay here again.