I’ve stayed in dozens of Airbnbs and never written a single bad review, as I don’t like the tattle-tale aspect of reviews. I always told the host if there was an issue, and they always responded openly. This time, however, the situation was hard, and so I am going to explain a few things that might inform future guests.
First, when I arrived from London I was told i would be met at the door: I was asked to text from the cab and update on my arrival time, which I did very specifically. When I arrived there was no one there: my 5 year old daughter and I stood out in the rain for a half hour, with our bags getting wet, after an 8 hour drop from London and jet lag, while the person texted me several times saying “I'll be there in 5-10 minutes”.
Second and most importantly, I asked Jaryd three times before renting about the noise level, because I have a 5 year old daughter who is noise sensitive and also I don’t do well with loud NYC noises. I have lived in NYC all my life and stayed in Airbnb twice a year so I know New York noise: one can’t avoid it completely but there are big differences in levels. He told me it was quiet several times. But when I arrived, the bedroom was on the ground floor and the other bedroom basement floor: especially on the ground floor, and because there is an air conditioner in the window, it literally sounds as if the window is open and you can hear the street as if it’s in your room: every passer by, talking, singing, car radios playing, people banging on the gate each time they come in and door banging as they go down the hall. It’s a very very noisy room. Jaryd then tried to tell me all about noise in New York as if I’ve never lived here. But I’ve lived here and this apartment room is very noisy.
Third, the apartment is probably fine for young people who are visiting and need a place to stay and don’t worry about things like noise or other issues: but for families, it’s not great. The pots and pans were all shoved on a shelf high up that could barely be reached: the carpets were dirty and there was a pre-check in cleaning that left a strong smell of cleaning products. The couch blocks the entrance to the bedroom, which is not a very big deal but still gives a sense of how the apartment is a tight squeeze and a bit more for casual stays rather than people looking for comfort.