Host (which was the daughter in this case) was very nice and communicated with us in a timely manner via text. Upon arrival, she buzzed us inside and gave us a brief and tour of the apartment and what was supplied.
The layout of this place was amazing! Lots of plants, lots of beautiful artwork and tons of interesting pieces collected from other countries. My cat loved it as well! The private room was decent for a Brooklyn apartment. A little smaller than I expected (2 adults and a pet), but it was enough. I wasn’t in my room the whole stay anyway, so it was fine. The host was thoughtful and made my bf and I feel welcome. Everything was clean, and thoughtfully placed for us. This included towels, shower soap, shampoo and conditioner, and in the kitchen area: a section of their refrigerator, dishes, silverware, filtered water, teas and fresh fruit.
Being that the room is facing a busy street, the noise at night may be an issue for light sleepers, also the other tenants living above your room may be noisy. I occasionally heard car alarms go off in the middle of the night, sirens, as well as truck engines stopping and accelerating at the stop light on Caton and Ocean Ave. Additionally, a gas stove is provided, but there isn’t a microwave unfortunately. There is also an oven, however during my stay the knob to turn it on was broken/missing so she had to use pliers and twist something to turn it on. So, if you want to reheat food, just ask the host! But, if you want to reheat food late at night when the host is likely asleep, you might be out of luck until the oven gets fixed, or if you feel confident enough to use tools to bring an oven to an unknown temperature.
The apartment is on the 3rd floor, so if you don’t want to wait for the elevator, the stairs was a faster option to travel up and down. However, this was also an issue for me since there was a strong lingering weed smell there, mysterious liquids puddling on the floor, and cigarette butts scattered throughout the whole stairway. Not the most sanitary place. Other than that, the apartment complex seemed safe, and had a security guard near the lobby area at night and late afternoon.
In conclusion, I enjoyed staying in Ninell’s apartment. The host was sweet and very helpful. The area around Caton Ave is quite busy day and night, and there is public transit close by. Although the building is a bit rough looking, it’s safe. Good luck finding parking if you’re bringing a vehicle though!