We'd driven in to NO from several states to bury our mother so this visit was more somber than usual. N.O. was characteristically hot and humid, but the house provided a calm, comfortable spot where we could relax in the afternoons and "chill" together in the evenings. In the mornings we sat on the front porch and drank coffee while the neighbors (humans and chickens) went about their daily business. There were occasional disputes among the resident fowl, but overall the street was very quiet. The house was exceptionally clean, and we were pleased to find that coffee, tea, sugar, and basic condiments were provided.
For the first couple of days I was using the bathroom off the hallway and I was disappointed that the water for my showers was warm but never really got hot. I reported this to Michael, who seemed unaware of the problem but willing to look into it. However, my brother figured out that instead of turning the faucet all the way left toward the "Hot" setting, if we positioned the faucet just short of "Hot", we could indeed have hot showers in that bathroom. Problem solved!
I must admit we had some initial safety concerns about this area, but after settling in we found it to be similar to other neighborhoods in the city where residents and tourists alike need to be aware of their surroundings and cautious in their behavior in certain situations. Overall we were very satisfied with this rental house. It was roomy, comfortable, clean, quiet, and reasonably priced. It provided a welcome "zen" refuge during a difficult time for my family.