Cynthia is friendly and welcoming. She is good to accept small changes in the plans. I needed to check in 3 hours early and she accommodated me without hesitation. I also did not realize I had to register my guest...did it at the last minute. No problem. I considered leaving a day earlier than planned. She was willing to reimburse me if I did this. Her son was very helpful and gave us the lay of the land for the neighborhood and also his phone number in case we had trouble. The 5 train (Dyer Ave) is a 5 minute walk from her place and there are convenient buses too; we were able to bus to the Botanical Garden on the first day without difficulty. It should be noted that although the 5 train is only 5 minutes from the apartment, it takes just under an hour to get to Grand Central Station where you can catch the shuttle to Times Square...whole trip comes to 65-70 minutes. Still worth the time for the great prices you get in the Bronx.
Cynthia’s neighborhood seems tight-nit and friendly. It is very much a family oriented place and people seem to me to spend time with their kids outside and work hard to maintain their yards beautifully. There are local take-out places that were quite good. I had some very authentic and delicious Jamaican Patties (super cheap); a 5 minute walk away and great Chinese take-out (Jimmy Best Chinese); a 10 minute walk.
I feel like the Bronx of yesteryear had a bit of a bad reputation. It has come a long way and is now a diverse, eclectic and desirable location. I am definitely coming back.