My stay at Gbemi and Emmanuel’s place was excellent and here are the top reasons why:
1) great location in Wallingford. Within walking distance from the house, there are drugstores, grocery stores, the post office, hip bars, great vegetarian food, burgers, pizza, bakery, etc. Also lots of cute little shops! I also walked down south to Gas works park, which boasts a beautiful view of downtown Seattle. Walking north is another big park, which the zoo is also attached to. East of Wallingford you can find Ballard’s large and gorgeous farmer’s market. It’s a safe and lovely neighborhood that has a lot of amenities and easy ride to downtown.
2) The apartment itself was smaller than I expected for two people, but had the best of the necessities—an incredibly comfortable bed, and the rainfall shower is divine! The induction stove is really cool too. They have everything you need—snacks, extra blankets, hairdryer, ironing board, Brita pitcher, tons of toiletries, umbrellas, etc. This was the most stocked Airbnb I have ever been in.
3) These hosts are graciously flexible. We asked for some accommodations for our check in and check out times, and since they didn’t coincide with other travelers, the hosts were generous enough to modify it for us. Also, they brought us cupcakes for my mom’s birthday! How thoughtful is that?! They are really easy to contact and since they live upstairs and are attentive, everything we requested was met swiftly.
The only thing I wish we had were coasters for glassware on the table, and maybe some hooks in the bathroom to hang towels or clothing. These small things would only perfect the already great experience.
There was one negative aspect that was a bit out of control of the host which was that when we arrived the street was closed and there was blaring loud construction on the street for almost the whole day. The second day as well—jackhammers, saws, booming thuds of equipment. It really messed with my sleep and I was already jet lagged. There were earplugs in the bathroom but yeah, the construction on the sidewalk outside marred my first impression.