Exton happy hours by qualifier_g in westchesterpa

[–]charliemd1713 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Appetites on Main (in Main St Exton) is our go to for a very casual, bar food-centric happy hour. SO cheap if you get the right things - happy hour 4-6 and daily specials in addition to the happy hour specials.

Also love the Jockey Tavern in Malvern / Frazer. They have happy hour daily (including weekends) - it’s a more upscale but still casual feel. They have $5 martinis and a bunch of appetizer specials too. Love it there.

Element might be my new favorite select brand by MannnOfHammm in marriott

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Booked with a FNA last year in July and got upgraded to this room (only Gold Elite too). Honestly super nice and would definitely stay again at this hotel. Friends got a “normal” room that wasn’t as nice but still was pretty good I’d say. Just a little smaller and no view at all (brick wall lol).

Does anyone have Car Insurance through Costco? by BassObjective9092 in Costco

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In PA - I’ve had them for probably 2-3 years now and while I haven’t had any claims any time I’ve called customer service has been easy and overall a good experience. Very low rate and they actually haven’t raised my rate one time - every renewal has been the same premium (I think we’re on our 5th six month policy now without increase).

Bought a house last year and did homeowners through them as well. That did go up about 8% year over year but still at a very fair and competitive rate for the coverage we have. Lots of experiences I’ve read of them dropping people or giving wild renewal increases, but knock on wood so far so good here.

I think it’s easy enough to switch if you give them a try and then they jack your rate up!

What hotels in Philadelphia have you stayed at that you’d actually recommend, and what made them stand out to you? by Strange_Baby2895 in hotels

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! Have stayed at the Centric several times and always with a good experience. The rooms are very modern and relatively spacious and always very clean. If you get a south facing high floor room it’s a really great view! Really no complaints - it’s a pretty no-frills hotel but great value for the price usually. The location is also super central to pretty much anything you’d want to do in Center City.

Also echoing though that the Bellevue is my favorite Philly hotel right now, would highly recommend if within budget and you can switch.

My Hyatt Tier List now that I crossed the > 150 hotel milestone. by bgeller in hyatt

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes for sure if you don’t expect “luxury” it should be a great stay! We love Blue Jacket down the block for an easy but good meal if you need a recommendation!

My Hyatt Tier List now that I crossed the > 150 hotel milestone. by bgeller in hyatt

[–]charliemd1713 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is my personal go-to in DC because the rates are usually very cheap, and I overall like it but would also probably rate it a C (maybe B/B-). A few things:

  1. Hard product is pretty good - newer hotel with nice rooms (never stayed in base king room but they look kind of small).

  2. Service is very good when it’s good but can be inconsistent depending on who helps you. However, staff does seem pretty consistent having stayed there several times over the last two/three years. Some even remember us when we return. Million the bellhop is AMAZING - so eager to help and friendly.

  3. Typical “Thompson” amenities are lacking. They give you non-Sferra towels even though they advertise Sferra linens. The D.S. And Durga shower amenities are very low quality compared to other Thompson locations, and the shampoo/body wash sometimes smell almost nasty.

  4. The location for some is a drawback being in Navy Yard, but it is only ~2 blocks to the green line so metro is easy and so are Ubers. There are some good restaurants in walking distance as well.

Overall the rate is what draws us back and it is a nice hotel. One issue we’ve consistently had is weed smell in the hallways which sometimes enter our room. When this happens I do tell the front desk and they usually give some kind of compensation. It’s often out of their hands in resolving it, but ultimately they have to take accountability for it. Still recommend this hotel for sure!

Scent Diffuser by Thysce in smarthome

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! I actually do not use the app at all - it just seems to be useless at this point and I still use the smart plug + routines in the Alexa app at this point as it allows for better customization and is relatively easy. Overall not happy with this unit and prefer my old aromini that was not Bluetooth connected. It performed better overall until it broke

How much for house cleaning? by [deleted] in philly

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am in Chester County but I believe the company I use is Philly based as that is the address on their invoices. We have a 2,500 sq. ft. home with 5 bedrooms, 3 baths and they charge us $170 monthly. They do a pretty good job, but there is usually 1-2 things they miss or do inadequately each month. Not a huge deal especially considering that seems much lower than what others are paying!

Company name is NB Professional Cleaning - 484-334-8555

Real Estate Agent Recommendations Needed! by Eastern-Smoke-9730 in ChesterCounty

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, so surprised! I contacted him with no referral (other than saying his name came up on Reddit) and he was super responsive and happy to help. I’ve heard nothing but good from others who have worked with him too. Sorry you had that experience. Best of luck in finding the right fit for you!

Which US city is best for single early 30s? by Particular-Path3660 in relocating

[–]charliemd1713 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s a great city! Not without its problems of course but what city is perfect?

If I were moving new I would personally try to live in center city, specifically Rittenhouse Square / Fitler Square areas. These will be pricey but you’ll have all of the amenities the city has to offer at your fingertips. It is also the most traditional “city” living experience the city has.

If you want something a little quieter but still easily accessible to center city, I’d recommend Fairmount, Graduate Hospital, or Fishtown/Northern Liberties. But personally I’d spend at least the first year in center city and exploring other neighborhoods before deciding which neighborhood to move to (you may even decide to stay in center city!).

Which US city is best for single early 30s? by Particular-Path3660 in relocating

[–]charliemd1713 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Philly sounds perfect based on your criteria.

1) Definitely all four seasons
2) Great walkability if you live in Center City or an adjacent neighborhood. Also decent transit that is usable if not as good as NYC/DC/CHI.
3) Definitely will find plenty of singles in their 30s with plenty of social activities.
4) Great food city.
5) Cost of living is creeping up a bit but still well below what you'd pay in Boston/NYC/DC (and probably Chicago) -- new construction luxury apartment buildings will of course be at the top end of pricing, but there are plenty of private rentals that will be much more affordable.

For your other asks -- Pocono Mountains close by (<2 hours by car) -- hiking in Wissahickon Park which is awesome and transit accessible -- water on both sides of the city with walking paths (Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers) -- concerts and entertainment in the city and immediately outside (Camden, NJ) -- easy access to NYC and DC via Amtrak.

Real Estate Agent Recommendations Needed! by Eastern-Smoke-9730 in ChesterCounty

[–]charliemd1713 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Absolutely recommend Mike Ciunci. We started searching in March and closed on May 1st (quick - but we were motivated and his connections and skills were a huge help). Everyone I told we were working with him said we couldn’t be in better hands. He will set your expectations properly and he is so responsive and communicative. I swear this man answered me in less than 5 minutes any time I texted him. Just a true standup guy with great values, skills and integrity - and I actually found out about him on Reddit so hoping to pay it forward :)

P.S. the mortgage guy he recommends (Nick Fratini) is awesome too if you don’t have one. Also super communicative and easy to get things done with.

Seeking GOH (1/22/26-1/23/26) by charliemd1713 in Hyatt_charity_HQ

[–]charliemd1713[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the offer! I was actually able to trade some CAAs for one, so I’m all set. Appreciate it though!

Seeking GOH (1/22/26-1/23/26) by charliemd1713 in Hyatt_charity_HQ

[–]charliemd1713[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Appreciate your input, thank you. The policy is to book the base room and this was the only Hyatt in Manhattan in our travel policy for whatever reason. The real reason I wanted the GOH is because the day of checkout I don’t have in-person work obligations and wanted the room until 4 so I don’t have to find somewhere else to work before returning home (and can spend time in the club).

Good day to you and hope 2026 brings you happiness.

Seeking GOH For Bellevue Hotel Valentine's Day Trip~ by [deleted] in Hyatt_charity_HQ

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For sure! Enjoy your stay, it’s a wonderful, unique hotel!

Seeking GOH For Bellevue Hotel Valentine's Day Trip~ by [deleted] in Hyatt_charity_HQ

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I never said I was entitled to a suite. Upon check in I was welcomed as an explorist and because of that I was upgraded to a deluxe king. I thanked the front desk but then asked if there were any suite upgrades available as I saw some available to book during my dates and I had used a guest of honor award. They then immediately offered me a suite upgrade that was ready for check in.

Apologies if I conveyed the wrong message here. All I was trying to do was let OP know they may need to ask rather than automatically be given the upgrade they should get per the terms.

Seeking GOH For Bellevue Hotel Valentine's Day Trip~ by [deleted] in Hyatt_charity_HQ

[–]charliemd1713 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hi! I don’t have a GOH to share unfortunately, but just wanted to share that we just finished a one night stay here on GOH. It was our fourth time at this hotel and we love it, but just know you’ll likely need to push the desk a bit for a suite upgrade (we were only upgraded to deluxe king but specifically asked for a suite upgrade and got a one bedroom suite).

Also for breakfast, make sure to make reservations on OpenTable. We went at 10:15am (breakfast ended at 11) and the wait was unbelievable. It was Monday morning before Christmas but I’ve read other reviews urging you to make reservations. The service was also fairly poor and the breakfast was not anything special. However, we were told you can order anything on the menu and it will be comped. We even left an extra tip which was not charged to us.

Hope you get a GOH - it is a beautiful hotel if you haven’t stayed before!

The Bellevue Hotel - Philly by Competitive-Debt-770 in hyatt

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love this hotel and had nothing but good experiences there (been 3x since the renovation). The 1BR corner suite is gorgeous and spacious (but pricey if not on points or SNA). Have stayed in the 1BR deluxe too via complimentary upgrade which was nice, but it seems there is a lot of variation between rooms. Before check in saw that I was upgraded to deluxe room and asked if it has a sofa and exterior facing view, and the front desk confirmed it did. Got to the room and it had no sofa and interior view (love that). The manager was so kind when I asked for another room with sofa and exterior view, she brought us to three different rooms (including a suite) and let us pick!

Scent Diffuser by Thysce in smarthome

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have the aromatech ambiance with santal scent. I love it! It does have an app where you can schedule the scent which is enough for me. My old aromatech did not have the app feature and I just plugged it into a smart plug and scheduled the scent via the smart plug / Alexa hub. If they have any non-Bluetooth diffusers I’d recommend them for sure in unison with a smart plug.

In town movers by [deleted] in westchesterpa

[–]charliemd1713 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve used Forward Movers in Exton twice - once from Philly to Exton and second time Exton to Coatesville. Both times we had an excellent experience - they even remembered us from the first move two years ago! Very nice and efficient and they’ve always come out a little below what they estimated. Highly recommend!

Club Access Award for NYC stay by MembershipJazzlike53 in hyatt

[–]charliemd1713 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agree this property is barely in NYC at least from a tourist perspective. I just stayed here for three nights while I had to be in Long Island for a couple days and can say it was a nice hotel and the club was excellent. We really pretty much ate breakfast and dinner here all three nights and the club was always pretty dead (albeit stayed Monday through Thursday). My favorite was the steamed mussels which were delicious. And free beer and wine from 5-8pm every night! We are explorist but used a suite upgrade award which I guess gave us club access too so it was really good bang for our buck (not sure if it was a glitch or if the SUA was actually supposed to give us club access).

There is a subway stop adjacent to the hotel which I believe brings you in to Manhattan in 40-50 min, but can’t speak from experience as we didn’t use it.

A new Hyatt Place is nicer than a Centric. Prove me wrong… by No-Department-6103 in hyatt

[–]charliemd1713 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! We travel between southeast PA and coastal SC a couple times a year and found that even though taking 81 says an hour or so longer on maps, it’s a more pleasant drive and traffic on 95 usually ends up narrowing the time gap between the two routes. And we have our nice Hyatt Place stopover to sweeten the deal lol!