Seth was a very communicative host and overall our stay was very pleasant! I am opting to write a constructive review with lots of feedback (unlike how I treat Uber, where everyone gets 5 stars no matter what). We hope Seth and fellow travelers will find this helpful!
Cons: Unfortunately, the reviews would lead you to believe this place is cleaner than it really is. In part, this is because the place is old and needs some updating. You know that permanent “dirt” that can’t be cleaned, but instead needs to be covered with a coat of paint or replaced? I’ve lived in plenty of older buildings like this one so that was no big deal. That being said, some things needed a good cleaning (the bathroom faucet, the shower curtain). At one point, we pulled the couch forward to get closer to the television and the floor underneath the couch was very dusty. The couch needs to be replaced, as do the outlets. I ended up charging my camera battery in the kitchen because it wouldn’t stay put in the house’s older outlets. The house also had a bit of a smell, which I can’t quite put my finger on.
Pros: The beds were extremely comfortable; I slept like a total log every single night. The temperature in the house was perfect and I never had to adjust it (or figure out how to adjust it). I was also appreciative of the fact that we could let ourselves in with a code on the door, which made for a very flexible arrival/departure. The kitchen was very nice and has clearly been updated recently.
The Neighborhood
Make no mistake, this is a suburban area. Granada Avenue (the residential street where the AirBnB is located) is adjacent to Gallatin Avenue, which can best be described as a commercial strip. East Nashville is charming in its own way, but this is not the nicest part of the City nor is it the downtown. The house is within walking distance to several affordable and delicious eateries and two grocery stores, but otherwise does not meet my, nor Jeff Speck’s, definition of walkability (no beautification, minimal pedestrian infrastructure or amenities). The neighborhood is one that was designed during a time in our history when cars were king. This, of course, is not a reflection on the host at all and Nashville is so large that there isn’t a central place you could stay and never have to Uber – we used Uber a lot and would have even if we have been staying in the center of downtown. We very much appreciated our daily breakfasts at Slowhand, which is very close, and I personally loved that the closest restaurant - Nomzilla (delicious, fast, cheap Japanese food) – was about a thirty second walk.