This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.
5/5 Excellent
8 Sep 2012
I would say, for a place ...
I would say, for a place located so close to the old city (5 minutes' walk) it is a fairly good option, especially for someone with young kids. It is quiet--aside from some sound of the nearby trams, which we didn't find that bad at all. You don’t have the noise of nightlife, mopeds and early morning garbage trucks that some in the old city report. When you walk out of the apartment, you are not immediately on a road with narrow sidewalks (as is the case with many apartments downtown), so kids can run more freely. The pedestrian area through the Antigone area and down to the river makes it easy to go for a walk or a bike ride. The pool just down the street is nice, with kids’ pools, a water slide, and an Olympic size pool for serious swimmers. It is easy walking distance to at least 3 playgrounds, and the proximity to trams, supermarkets, outdoor markets, community centre, pharmacies, train station, bakeries, restaurants etc. is extremely convenient.
In terms of the apartment: for two adults and 1 kid, we found there was lots of space, and they did a nice job of clearing out personal effects and leaving empty closets, but also leaving homey-feeling things around. The décor is not fancy, but is comfortable. It had the benefit, for us, of including books and toys suitable for a 3-6 year old. The kitchen is fairly well equipped, for those who like to cook. The large private terrace is also quite nice and safe for kids; I got the impression that having outdoor space of one's own is rather rare this close to the city.
In terms of driving, it is quite well located for getting out of the city, or to the airport quickly –something that can be a concern, since traffic can be a bit intense downtown.
There are a couple of drawbacks that we can think of: it lacks the charm of the buildings of the older city, and it faces onto a gas station and high rise apartment buildings, which we found a bit dreary to look at daily (though the nice terrace plants help to block this a bit); and the secluded side entrance to the building (which is the one that is most convenient for this apartment) often attracts teenagers who smoke cigarettes and hang around (they are harmless, and we ourselves didn't find this a big deal, but some might).