I stayed in the studio apartment at SpaHa House for 10 nights and absolutely loved it. What you see in the photos is what you get. It really DOES look that great. Nice flooring, crisp, clean walls, granite kitchen counter, coffee machine, big Whirlpool fridge, a balcony, a pull down bed (very comfortable and not at all difficult to pull down), air conditioning and a TV. I could happily live in that apartment!

Spanish Harlem is an eclectic area and the residents are extremely varied. The 103rd St subway is only 3 blocks away from the apartment and it takes you into midtown Manhattan in approx 20mins. The bus lines nearby are very handy too. My favourite local spot was the East Harlem Cafe on 104th St, great coffee, free wi-fi and amazing art on the walls. I really liked it there.

My absolute favourite thing about this trip were the hosts - Blanca & Ted. Amazingly friendly and so welcoming, the sort of people who will go out of your way to make sure everything is okay. They made my first ever AirBnb experience a positive one. The fact the taxi driver who took me to the airport thought I was saying goodbye to family tells you how much I got along with them. I hope to see them again someday soon!