The apartment is fantastically located for both 163 and 157 Street Subway stations. This allowed us to get practically anywhere of note within around 30 minutes as both stations have different lines running from them. It also makes getting to and from JFK via the AirTrain a breeze (and a relative bargain) if you are savvy and research your routes. It is worth noting that the AirTrain is an extra $7 each way on top of the MetroCard but that’s still far cheaper than the alternatives. I would highly recommend getting the 7 day Unlimited Pass MetroCard for $33 as it saved us a fortune and we didn’t use an Uber once to get around.
The host responded very quickly when needed (check in/check out) but left us alone throughout our stay which is exactly what we look for in a host.
What can I say about the apartment itself? It was always super warm and we did not once feel cold which was a concern of mine before I got there. I can’t comment of the TV as we did not use it even once. I only used the oven once and it seemed fine. We used the microwave daily to make breakfast and had no issues. The fridge freezer was extremely spacious and far bigger than you would ever need for a one week stay. I am not sure if the toiletries were provided by the host or had been left behind by previous guests but we were grateful to find shampoo and shower gel etc had all been provided, as too had coffee for the fantastic filter coffee machine which we used every morning. The bed was super comfy and made getting out of bed in the morning a real struggle. The only criticisms I could make was that the despite being super clean the apartment was starting to look a bit tired. A few tiles were broken on the kitchen floor, the bathroom door did not shut, and the bedside table cupboard door was broken. It just generally felt like it could do with a bit of TLC. I also am not sure if the building had a fire alarm as I could not see any fire detectors on the stairs or in the room itself. If it does not have any I feel installing a couple of fire alarm would be a nice touch for peace of mind as much as anything else.
Myself and my girlfriend did not always feel particularly safe walking back from the local subway at night, neither of us would have wanted to walk back from Station 157 in particular on our own. On a few occasions after dark we were approached and shouted at by aggressive people on the street whilst walking home which did make us feel somewhat uneasy. Having read previous reviews one of the reasons we selected this Airbnb was based on reviews commenting on the safety of the area. Unfortunately this was not always our experience of Washington Heights late at night.
However, overall this was a fantastic base for NYC and given the price per night in comparison to staying in a hotel I believe I would stay here again.