Large 3/2 in Spring Garden

The location is great. Easy and safe walk to several restaurants/bars. 5 min uber to downtown. The apartment is huge. But…. On arrival there are 7 lock boxes with no indication of which one the key is in. The picture provided shows two boxes. The cleaner had to show us which lock box to use. The description says there is street parking AND nearby lots. This is not true. Parking was extremely difficult and there are no lots nearby. There is one several blocks away but the reviews say it is not safe. We had to move our car at 530am to secure a spot. I understand it is a city so parking can be difficult but the description should say that. The apartment itself is really big, the three rooms are good sizes. The large bedroom has a huge skylight with a shade that is torn and hanging down so the room is VERY bright early in the morning. There are several plug wall plates that are hanging off the walls. The bathrooms have no hooks or racks to hang anything and no place to put soaps etc in the shower area. There were several light bulbs out. There were no dish towels. So many small details that if taken care of would make a big difference! Communication was not clear…We paid extra for an (2pm) early check in. Just before 2pm I received a text saying the place would not be ready (for the 4pm time) I said we paid for early check in, then I was told it would be ready at 3. Checking out was also an issue with miscommunication about keys.

Although the ambience of the apartment fell short of the photos, the quick responsiveness of the host, the low price at the time we booked it, free street parking, and the location within walking distance--or an affordable 10-15 Uber--of the places we wanted to go made up for the cosmetic flaws. A lot of upgrades have been done to provide a clean space in an old building in the city. The sheets and towels were soft and clean, and there were 4 pillows on each comfortably firm queen bed. The master bedroom has 2 queen beds, lots of closet space, and an en suite bathroom. We only used the kitchen for breakfasts, so check with the host about kitchen inventory if you need to do any serious cooking or baking. Parking was a challenge, but we were able to find free street parking without time restrictions (after saying our prayers). Look carefully for parking signs noting restrictions. Check in and check out were smooth. Good food and a CVS pharmacy are a short walk away. Bar Hygge was a nice, unique place for dinner just around the corner. Pete's Famous Pizza, just down the street, had great Philly cheesesteaks and photo endorsements on the wall from such icons as Shaquille O'Neal, Carl Lewis, and Tim McGraw, to name a few. If you have any questions or issues or need anything, the host is very responsive and helpful, which we greatly appreciated. After an initial sense of let down, it worked out well, and we were thankful to have found an affordable place for our family of 6.

Major concern is that the smoke detector was removed. Overall not well kept property: shower was dirty, wires hanging out of the wall, stains on the wall, closet doors not attached, and stained bedding. Low price and good location gives it two stars instead of one, but it wasn't worth it.