Let’s be honest. As a spoiled child who is partial to 1982 Château Margauxs and Nat Shermans, I enjoy the finer things in life. This usually means I stay at the Ritz Carlton and have grown accustomed to be waited on and cleaned up after.

With that said, this was my first time using AirBnB and to be honest I was absolutely hesitant about “sharing” a room. Fortunately, I stumbled upon Cynthia’s listing and I was instantly intrigued. First of all, Cynthia offers the fairest rate out of all the Upper East Manhatten listings. Other people wanted to charge me twice or triple the amount for run down studios that I could have by myself or maybe share the place with a few cockroaches. Secondly, Cynthia’s apartment is akin to spending a few nights in a Lautner home. She has meticulously designed the bathrooms and the bedrooms so that you are constantly reminded that you are living in a piece of artwork. Finally, Cynthia was a fantastic and attentive host. She knows the city well and was constantly making sure that I was comfortable. (LA people beware: she thinks that walking fifty blocks is normal) I know for certain that if I ever find myself in the city of blinding lights again, I will stay with Cynthia or at the very least invite her out to dinner so that I can dispel her opinions with mine.