I was quite skeptical about using an Air BnB (one too many horror films I suppose), but Stella immediately quelled all my concerns. She was very warm and friendly from our first conversation upon booking confirmation. When we arrived we found her place to be very inviting, like visiting your favorite Auntie's house. Her cat Mickey was very friendly but not at all intrusive. He greeted us in the living room but waited patiently for us to interact with him. He never entered our room even with the door open.
Stella was at work when we arrived but she requested we call as soon as we got there. She wanted to make sure we found everything to be satisfactory and walk us through the apartment. Our phone tour was better than a lot of in person tours I have been on! By the end of the conversation I knew where everything was and it felt like I had been there many times. She took extra care to make sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed.
Our room was spacious, sparkling clean, and was set up very similar to a hotel room with how the bed was dressed and made. Our closet held high quality linens, wash cloths, and towels. The dresser and closet provided ample space for a lengthy stay and there was a small sitting area where you can work or have a meal. The TV was a nice size and the wifi password was written down for us and left on the nightstand. We had a full private bathroom which was also sparkling clean. We brought our own toiletries but found that if we had forgotten anything we would have been covered.
Stella's apartment is located in a beautiful, quiet section of Queens located just about a 5 minute walk to the F train on the main avenue. There is also a wide variety of food and shopping in the area and everything is easily accessible walking or on a short bus or train ride.
In the morning Stella offered us tea and coffee. We were in a rush to get to World Pride in the West Village so we couldnt stay. Stella made sure we at least took some fruit with us because we hadnt eaten yet. Yes, Stella is LGBTQ+ FRIENDLY! I saved this for the end because I wanted the review to be mainly about our stay and her hospitality; however, this also speaks to how she is as a person. My fiancee and I were very specific in our message to Stella about why we were visiting NYC this particular weekend because we are out and of course have concerns about the views of our host. Not only did Stella accept our booking, she also treated us with respect, kindness, welcomed us back, and wished us a most wonderful time at the Pride Parade. We will definitely be staying with Stella again.