After a long train trip, we arrived in New York exhausted. Rob had given us clear directions via email on how to use the subway to reach their place in Astoria. Getting there from Penn Station was easy, even for two very tired, rather oldish, culture-shocked mid-westerners, and when we arrived, Gladys had everything ready for us. She greeted us, showed us around the apartment, and then left us alone to recover from our trip.

The apartment was everything we had hoped, and more. Most importantly for me, it had a large comfortable bed and was very quiet. The bedroom was at the rear of the house (though even the street side was seldom noisy) and downstairs Rob and Glad were so quiet, we barely knew they were there. Getting a good night's sleep is so important when you're traveling.

Rob and Glad's place is located in a real neighborhood, with all the stores, restaurants, and bakeries you could ask for within a short walk. The neighborhood is ethnically diverse and immediately felt safe. The subway (R line) was less than 5 minutes away, making it easy for us to explore this wonderful, fascinating city, which we did, from Flushing to Staten Island, and from The Bronx to Rockaway Beach. A great 24 hour natural foods-type grocery and deli was located only a few feet from the subway entrance. We stopped there almost every night to get hot food, green smoothies, and much more. They even offer free delivery!, as did a number of the restaurants in the neighborhood. The apartment has a microwave, coffee maker and refrigerator, but no cooking stove. But why would you need one, with so many restaurants and groceries a few minutes away?

In short, if you are coming to New York and would like a clean, quiet, reasonably-priced place to stay in a safe, diverse neighborhood close to transportation, I don't think you could do better than Rob and Glad's place. We thoroughly enjoyed our six night stay. Plus, Gladys is an absolutely delightful person. You'll love her!