This was my first time using Airbnb and it was even better than I'd hoped it would be. Marcia (Mar-see-ah) was very welcoming and her communication before, during, and after our stay was great. She responds very well to messages as she wasn't always around. The loft is exactly as you see in the pics, but better. It has such a cool feeling to it and it's bigger than my three bedroom house in the 'burbs. The bed and covers were very comfortable. We opened the window for some airflow as she doesn't have air conditioning, and it was quite comfortable for sleeping. Did I mention how cool the loft was was and how awesome Marcia was?? It truly is an artists loft; she actually has her own painting studio there that she uses to create her amazing artwork.

As for the neighborhood, I personally love it. There are plenty of little shops to check out, several grocery stores, a liquor store, close by subway stations, the water front is two blocks away where you can see the Manhattan skyline. Here are the favorites for the places nearby... For pizza, Juliana's (about a 10 minute walk) ; for bar Superfine and also Superfine for dinner (two minute walk). It's owned by a neighbor and it's definitely the best place nearby. They have a full bar and also seating for dining. The menu changes daily based on what's available from local sources. I had the best burger I might have ever had and my friend had a chicken dish with mashed potatoes and some sort of slaw that was also delicious. The lemon rosemary crème brûlée was too good to even describe. They also have live music on Sundays. We got coffee at Brooklyn roasting Company and the bagels and coffee at La Bagel Delight were so good!

For entertainment we went in to the city one night to see a play, the Brooklyn Flea was really neat too. We've been to NYC quite a few times, so we tried to do more of the local stuff rather than the touristy things. Staying in this neighborhood makes you feel like you live there and gives you a feeling of familiarity.

Long story short, the loft is awesome, the neighborhood is awesome, and the hostess is awesome.