Staying in Jack's place in the East Village represented everything I like about airbnb as opposed to staying in a hotel -- the apartment is at the heart of a real neighborhood (not a business or tourist district) and the experience is personal, not corporate. In this regard, Jack should TRAIN other airbnb hosts. The apartment was super clean and well-kept -- exactly as promised. Jack stocked the refrigerator with goodies and stapes (Thomas english muffins, butter, beer, orange juice, soda, a water filter and so on). He even includes an iphone for the use of his guests. He responded instantly to texts. And his pasta and cheese store, Russo's is just below and the folks there were always ready to respond to anything we needed (and they make the best fresh mozeralla I've ever had anywhere). Having Russo's below also makes the check-in and -out process super easy. The neighborhood is interesting and convenient and safe. The only caveat is that on the weekend nights it was noisy, as one would expect in a cool neighborhood with restaurants and bars. This was a super experience. I highly recommend.