Simone's place is amazing value. The other reviews I've read have either been way too positive, or ridiculously negative and short, here's a real review:
I was coming from out of the country and told Simone I needed check-in instructions ahead of time as I wouldn't have a cell phone signal once in the USA. She gave me a code for a lockbox without any further information. There are 3 lockboxes at this apartment and 2 of them are not possible to see in the dark, so I had issues checking in. Simone didn't give me a key for the bedroom lock and promised for the first 3 days of my stay that she'd "get the lock changed tomorrow" until eventually I just told her to forget about it since I was leaving soon anyways. Simone will tell you that she'll "make you breakfast", but the reality is that there is coffee, tea and cereal available on the table to help yourself to, not a bad deal, just misleading. The room is small, but comfortable. You'll share a bathroom with 3 other bedrooms worth of people, but I never found this to be an issue. There are reviews that say the place is disgusting or perfectly clean, it's neither of those things. The apartment is clean on all the surfaces you'll touch, but it's a building from the 1950s and in the nooks and crannies, it's a little dusty and banged up. The apartment is in a quiet part of Queens known as Astoria. This neighbourhood is very safe and quiet, although not lit the greatest at night, but personally I never had a problem with this. Apartment is a 15 minute walk to the subway, it'll take you about 25-45 minutes total to get to where you're going in Manhattan and about an hour to Brooklyn. The price is about half of the price of a seedy hotel, and the experience is better with Simone. I paid about $110 CAD ($86 USD) per night in May 2022, which is a fantastic bargain. Simone provided free soap, disposable toothbrushes, all the bedding and towels you'll need. There were new towels after 2 days and I'm sure you could get more sooner if you ask. Simone is very friendly and a great host, she's just hard to pin down sometimes over text. Calling her is always the best option. Overall, this is the perfect budget stay in NYC. If money is tight, but you want to travel, this is your place.