A friend and I stayed at a new house in St. Alban’s, which is an area in Jamaica, Queens. It’s a lovely, safe and quiet neighborhood, and it really is about a 12-minute drive to JFK. This is like a house on top of another house, with separate entrances side by side. Our 3-bed/2-bath is on the first or ground floor. There are a few steps up to the front door but none inside.
The Internet connection was solid and fast. Parking was free where you can get it. I may have been lucky but I found parking every time within a couple of minutes’ walk from the house.
What sold me was the place is new and I loved the dining table photo. It was so luxurious and we thoroughly enjoyed sitting and chatting there. I liked the dining area, the mattress was really comfortable, a soft memory foam but with good support. I liked the spaciousness of the open plan kitchen/dining/living area. The heating worked well and the house was cozy.
I also like to be fully prepared before I leave for a trip. So it was anxiety provoking to learn that I didn’t have Internet information in my printouts. The host doesn’t provide this until two days before the stay, so I didn’t have it and felt badly texting the host late at night for the information. I got it using my phone to access the site on AirBnB. There is a typo but you can figure it out.
A couple of things relevant to me were absent. There were no extra blankets or pillows though these are listed among the amenities, and if you’re a bit picky about bed linens (like me) you might want to bring your own. The beds were dressed with a bottom sheet and a poly comforter without a cover. Also missing was a drip coffee maker. There was instead a coffee pod dispenser with some flavored coffee pods. The pod dispenser and electric kettle had been overlooked in the cleaning and were not usable at that time.
There were no fewer than 6 plugin scent devices and an additional standalone device that spritzed automatically throughout the house. It took a while to clear the air once unplugged and it was hard to fathom why they were being used. They were not masking any other unpleasant odor. Finally, the walls are quite thin. I was kept awake until after 2:00am by an upstairs neighbor who was simply walking across the floor, chatting and watching TV on my first night. And on the following day, as we sat at the table, the other entrance was used and I would swear someone was coming into our part of the house. What I thought was a locked closet door appears to be a connecting door to the other part of the house.
The host returned messages and appears to be managing the business remotely. The house is new and doesn’t have a lived-in feel or what you would expect to find in a kitchen (like scissors). But it is safe and very comfortable and free parking is available. Overall it was a good experience and I recommend it.