I had some doubts about this place because the photos made it look pretty spartan—even a little grim. But the reviews were positive, so I took a chance. And yes—the apartment is sparsely furnished, but we forgot all about that after one day. This place is very roomy by NYC standards. The AC units in the bedrooms kept the place very cool, even during some nasty July heat spells. The beds were comfortable, and our teenaged son loved having his own room, instead of sleeping on a sofa bed. The full-sized kitchen was well-equipped. We loved flopping down in the living room to watch a little TV together after a full day in the city. And the hosts couldn’t be kinder.
Now: the neighborhood. If you want to go look at other tourists in Midtown Manhattan or Times Square, you won’t like Sunset Park. If you want to see a real NY neighborhood, SAFE, but with energy and diversity and, yes, some grit, you’ll love Sunset Park. It’s an immigrant enclave; if it offends you to hear languages other than English being spoken, again, you won’t like Sunset Park. There’s great food here and amazing people-watching. It does take a little longer to get into Manhattan, but Manhattan ain’t all there is to the city. If you stay here, be sure to check out Tacos El Bronco (we ate there three times in one week) and Liebre Cafe, right on the park at 41st and 7th (feels like a hipster coffee shop, but run by a friendly Venezuelan family) and take the ferry to the city from the Brooklyn Army Terminal. And spend some time in the park itself. It will restore your faith in humanity.