If you want to have an experience that's a close as you can get to "living like a local," this is the place! The flat itself was just as Norman and Yamilis described/depicted it--cozy, comfortable and well-appointed. The location was incredible--literally steps from the Saturday night milonga at Plaza Dorrego, the huge San Telmo street market on Sunday and an anything-you'd-like array of restaurants and cafes. If you want to do your own cooking, you can shop at the venerable San Telmo Market just around the corner.
Because the US dollar is so strong, we elected to use cash as much as possible and found we had to plan ahead as ATMs are scarce in the neighborhood. Most money exchange services are also at some distance, as are the trendier sections of Palermo and Recoleta. We had no problem, however, making the 10-minute walk to the subway at Independencia. Given the exchange rate, taxi rides to other sections of the city are a cheap option.
We did have a "live-like-a-local" experience with a 24-hour power outage. Norman and the property manager, Casa San Telmo, were very responsive. They stayed in touch with the utility and relayed information as they received it. Our WiFi did not come back right away when the electricity returned, so Norman arranged for us to use the network of a friend who lives in the building.
Against the larger backdrop, those were minor inconveniences. We can't wait to return to a city where we felt not only safe but welcome and, when we do, to make Norman and Yamilis's place our home away from home!