The host: Annie was very kind and communicative prior and during my stay. She showed concern whenever I brought any issues to her attention and always answered in a timely fashion.
The complex: if you’re interested in comfort and convenience over luxury, then this place is the right fit. The exterior is nice with a general courtyard filled with various plants and a security guard which was comforting as a solo traveler. The neighbors are quiet for the most part and friendly on occasion. The building is older so various smells permeate throughout the hallway. As someone sensitive to smell, the smell of weed, smoke and mothball made climbing the stairs and entering and exiting the elevator nauseating.
The space: When I first walked in, I could tell that Annie took her time to make sure it appeared clean. She had warned that she lived with a dog so I definitely noticed dog hair on my feet as I walked around in my socks which lead me to feel like the space could have been cleaned a bit more thorough. Unfortunately, the previous renter smoked in the unit so it wreaked of smoke causing me to go out of my way to buy an air freshener and even obtain a portable clothing rack to hang up my clothes since her closet wreaked. As the description states, A LOT of natural lighting engulfs the space which is the most positive thing about the space. The bedroom is extremely spacious and the bed is beyond comfortable.
Here are some quirks to keep in mind: it’s an old building and an old building in New York for that matter. There IS a pest control issue. I encountered cockroaches, spiders and flies within the unit almost immediately. This is likely due to the cracks in the walls, windows and floors. The complex does have a pest control exterminator that eventually came to the unit and sprayed it, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling uneasy over the fact that there were pests. Annie was nice enough to have roach traps dropped off so laying those around gave me some peace of mind.
The walls are thin so at times, you will hear people talking and walking and it will send chills up your spine because it sounds like they’re in the apartment even though they’re not. The bathroom toilet is rusted and makes an incessant noise that will be bothersome, but you’ll get used to it. As far as the bathroom, it’s the worst area of the home. The bathtub and shower nozzle are awkwardly positioned where you’re taking a shower horizontally. You can’t adjust the nozzle either so you’re always leaning when taking a shower. It was a nuisance.
The kitchen is small, but somehow still accommodating with a dishwasher, well lit stove/oven section and a spacious fridge and counter + cabinets. There is no microwave which didn’t bother me too much since I cook nearly every day with minimal leftovers. To that point, Annie’s cookware was sparse. It was hit or miss on what she had and didn’t have causing me to go out and retrieve a few things. For one, she didn’t have any non-stick cookware. Therefore, every time I cooked, the unit got smoky. The ventilation isn’t the best so the smells would linger. If you opened the window, you ran the risk of a pest creeping in so it was always a compromise. A few things were falling a part too in the kitchen from the panel under the sink to a plastic divider held by tape in the refrigerator, to the bedroom door where on the last day I got stuck inside it because the screw was jammed (I let her know these things and am certain that by the time this posts, she will have rectified those issues).
The neighborhood is very quiet and the subway is a quick 10 minute walk which was really nice. While I didn’t use the bus, that is just outside the complex too. There are plenty of stores and places to eat, particularly on Queens Blvd so that enhanced my experience. All in all, Annie was a great host and the space was decent, especially for the price for my extended stay (30 days). If you can manage through the quirks, you will be just fine. Enjoy!