You do not hear the busy traffic or public pedestrians until you step out of the building onto Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana which is the first major busy commercial street only 2 blocks from the beach. Which contains transportation, shopping, groceries, and nearby coffee shops.
Freddy and his mom, who you will likely deal with since he lives abroad are great hosts who accommodate your needs as they arise. The apartment is small but comfortable for 1 to 2 people but the cost for value is there. The kitchen and bath have been updated and I especially liked the long kitchen counter. and utensils. A blender for making juices would have been nice though.
The only negative was a very small kitchen table and chairs more designed for seating two children than adults. A bar table under the flat screen tv with stools for seating might work better.
The month of May has great weather because I never needed to use the air conditioner once since there is an overhead fan that comfortably circulates the air during this mild climate time.