Let me start by saying what I loved about this little blue bungalow. It was small and quaint but it felt very homey. The touches that Shelby, the host, added to the home were very nice. The home itself is in great condition, very cute, updated appliances, and there was plenty in the kitchen to prepare meals at the home. It has a very cabin like feel to it that really enjoyed. The outside deck is very nice also, and my kids really enjoyed spending time outside. Shelby was a fantastic host and was very attentive throughout our visit. She responded quickly to all messages which I really appreciated.
Unfortunately there were some drawbacks, some small, a few large. I'll start with a couple of the small things. I had some issues with the doors. They're sliding doors that sit on rollers which I didn't realize until we arrived. If I didn't have children along with me, it wouldn't have been an issue but having the kids in the second bedroom with the living area right beside it, made it difficult to keep the noise levels down because of the large gaps the doors would leave when closed. I had another issue with the thermostat. It was hard to keep on a set temperature and would revert back to it's preset program, which required me to manually reset the temp every couple of hours.
As I said, there were also major drawbacks to the home. The most important of these being the location of the home. The neighborhood where the home is located felt very unsafe. You can tell the neighborhood is changing and is in the current stages of gentrification, but so much of it remains as it was. Just down the street, there is
stop and shop where people loiter and walk around at all hours of the day. If you happen to drive in or out on that street, expect people to stare you and your vehicle down. It was very off putting to say the least. Another issue is that the neighbor next to the home frequently plays music at all hours of the day. The bass is so loud, it shakes the walls. Luckily the music didn't continue past 10:00 but it was hard to even relax in the home or go outside because of all the noise. The neighbor also has at least one dog that barked anytime the children and I went outside. Not to mention the cursing that came from the same neighbor as my kids and I played outside, not directed at us thankfully, but towards the dog or anyone else at his home. The house is not equipped with an alarm system which would've helped me feel more secure, for sure. The locks on all the doors were flimsy and it seemed that the home could be broken into easily if anyone wanted to do it. I spent the entirety of our stay nervous that the home would be broken into which is an awful feeling to have.
Overall, if you're not too concerned about the area where the home is and you can deal with loud music, you will probably enjoy your stay here. Obviously, these things were out of the hosts control so I do not blame her at all. Shelby was a great host and did all she could do to ensure our stay was care free, I just wish I would've felt safer throughout our stay.