PLUSES:
- nice-sized rain shower head
- gas stove
- good knives for a rental
- bright and cheery
MINUSES
- dishes and kitchenware grimy/dusty on arrival
- central air doesn't cool upstairs well; window units loud
- kitchen could use some additional stocking
- isolated neighborhood
- required insurance purchase should be better disclosed
- dog next door barks a LOT
This is a charming renovation of an old row house. Parking can be as easy as in front of the door, or as inconvenient as several blocks away - depends on your luck.
The only things in proximity to this house are Patterson Park, which is lovely, and one pub. So if you're hoping to walk to cafes, eateries, or other attractions, this is not a great location. It's a fairly quick drive to grocery stores though, if you want to cook. Neighborhood seemed fairly safe.
The kitchen looks just as nice in person as in the pictures. I loved that they had a gas stove. I wished that the dishes were as clean as the house. Some glassware is on exposed shelves, so if people don't use it and wash it, it accumulates dust and grime really easily. I would recommend having the housekeeper run everything through the dishwasher (with soap!) at least once a month. A lot of the kitchenware inside cabinets was also grimy - possibly other people aren't washing things thoroughly before they put them away. It didn't take me long to clean anything that needed it before I used it, but it was disappointing to have to do it. You could also use one larger pan with a lid. Lids are so important! There was not a lid large enough to fit the large pan that was there. For a listing that is very kitchen-forward in the photos, I was a little surprised at all of this.
It's great that they have a window AC unit in each bedroom, because you definitely need it. They are unavoidably loud, though, so that's a bit of a bummer. The barking dog next door was also a bummer - for a short stay, no big deal, but after a while it got old.
Finally, the owner will require you to purchase an insurance policy, or pay a hefty deposit (which the website cannot guarantee will be returned). I bought the policy, which I imagine is what most people do.
I completely understand the desire to protect an investment, but between all the fees, my final price was more than $100 per night more than the list price. That's too big a difference.
With improvements and a more honest up-front price, this would be 5 stars.