My partner and I planned a week long stay at Happy’s place to work remotely and enjoy surfing in Santa Cruz. Unfortunately we had to cancel our stay after the first night because we did not feel safe in the apartment.
The inside of the apartment is as pictured in the listing, (though be aware that the photos shown are heavily edited and it is not actually this bright). However, the location of the apartment is very much not what we expected based on the listing description and reviews.
While the host does describe the apartment being in an “commercial” area of Santa Cruz with train tracks nearby and an industrial shop, they chose not to show photos of the apartment’s surroundings. If you are planning a stay here, please be aware of the following:
1. The “cosy home” is in fact one of three apartment units that are within the same building that we believe was renovated for the sole purpose of providing affordable rental accommodations. This is NOT someone’s personal apartment that they regularly live in, so much as a source of income, or “revenue” as Happy communicated to us in a message.
2. The entrance to the apartment is located in a dirt alleyway filled with potholes. On one side of the narrow alley is a gravel patch right next to the bedroom window for a car to park. On the other side of the alley is a barbed wire fence surrounding an industrial lot with surveillance notices posted.
3. Right next to the apartment down the dirt alleyway is what appears to be an abandoned junk lot with metal scrap such as old mattress frames, fences, and the back of a pickup truck.
4. The bedroom window is adjacent to the alleyway which is lit up by harsh white floodlights at night, making it difficult to sleep.
5. During the night a man who appeared to be homeless with a packed backpack came walking down the alleyway blaring music from a speaker mounted on his back. He came back up the same alleyway half an hour later, still playing music. This obviously isn’t the host’s fault. However, what was not known prior to booking the apartment is that there is a homeless shelter one street away from the apartment. This disturbance at night, combined with the above mentioned characteristics of the location made my partner and I feel unsafe at night, and was ultimately the reason why we decided to cancel our stay.
In summary: this apartment is affordable, clean, and well maintained on the inside. “Happy” (or Peter, or Zen?) is (are?) a responsive host. However, the location leaves a lot to be desired and may not be the best choice if you are (1) staying here during the day (e.g. remote working), or (2) concerned about safety or comfort at night. Of course, the surrounding location is not the host’s responsibility. However, the listing does not accurately represent the location or surroundings, and this left us feeling very much taken advantage of. Please be aware of this when you are considering booking here.