Overall, we had a positive stay at Chris' place in Harlem. The apartment was much bigger than anticipated, the bedroom and living areas were good sizes, the heating was on when we arrived on a chilly day and so it was nice and cosy, on the whole the wifi was good (apart from a short blip) and it was about 5mins walk to the nearest subway station (125th). We also walked back from Central Park one day, it's about 15min walk from the very top of Central Park.
There were a few negatives which, in days gone by I would have overlooked, but I think they should be looked at by the host. Several of the electricity sockets (particularly in master bedroom) were very loose and I wasn't very comfortable using them. We have a young child who isn't yet crawling/walking and they don't look particularly safe, I'd be very worried about a child being near them. One of the chairs in the bedroom was propped up by books too. The bathroom was as clean as could be, but the tiles around the bath and shower were very much broken and cracked and need to be looked at. Aside from it being a leak/rot problem for the host, it's a little unsightly for a guest. There was also a small ant problem in the bathroom in the second half of our stay.
The kitchen (incl. hob, oven, microwave, fridge) was modern and functioned well. There wasn't a dishwasher and I wouldn't expect one, I like to do the dishes myself, there was washing up liquid but nothing to wash the dishes with (eg. sponge or brush). Plenty of dinner and side plates and cutlery, but bowls were few and what ones there was were mismatched and some were melamine.
Being on the ground floor, I was concerned about security before booking, but Chris reassured beforehand all the layers of security and access to the property, given we had a stroller, baby and suitcases. There was a solid metal gate at street level, then two further lockable doors until the apartment, the windows also came with secure bars - so we felt safe. There are only a couple of small steps down from street level and a porch threshold to overcome so in terms of ease of access, pretty straightforward. The porch itself did have quite a strong smell or urine - which seemed to get worse the longer we stayed. I've lived in cities before and I guess it's a hazard of the area, but was a little off putting. The lounge was comfy and cosy with a large sofa and two armchairs, the TV had all the on demand and live channels you could need. The photos were accurate in terms of what the rooms looked like, but did hide quite how big the apartment was - something of a bonus. The photos don't obviously show some of the smaller details I've commented on in this review.
We walked to/from 125th St Subway each day we were there, around 5mins or so from the apartment. The apartment itself is on a quiet and safe looking street, but the area immediately surrounding the subway station was a bit sketchy - I fully recognise it's like that around stations the world over and we've travelled extensively - but I'm not as young as I used to be and now have a family, it wasn't something I was particularly comfortable with. We only travelled during daylight hours as we had to be back for evening routine with our son. That being said, I wouldn't be comfortable walking around the apartment after dark and would consider getting a taxi. Despite the awesome subway connections and proximity to LaGuardia Airport (where we flew out of), I think in future I'd potentially look to base myself elsewhere.
I only received the check-in instructions on the day itself, despite AirBnB saying I'd receive an email with details one or two days before. Given the length and detail of the check-in instructions, I'd like to have received it earlier as we weren't roaming and were reliant on airport WiFi only. That being said, the instructions were detailed and we got in without an issue.
NY isn't a cheap city and we specifically wanted a 2 bed apartment as we were travelling with our child, we're fully aware it would limit our options and increase the price we would have to pay - something I'd fully reconciled with. For the size of apartment and price we paid, I would be reasonably happy. Some elements of the apartment were really well thought out, but those loose ends and rough edges did let it down a little and overall, made it feel a little overpriced.