The apartment is in a building with doorman, a tremendous safety and convenience feature. The area is very quiet, like living in a little town, but at the corner there is bus and taxi service. The entrance to Rio's beautiful Botanical Gardens is just around the corner. The area is away from the bustle of the beach neighborhoods, which for me was a huge positive. It is higher up and not so hot as the beach areas. Surrounded by natural beauty. There is a fine bakery and a bar/cafe in the area frequented by friendly locals. A little further down the street are some very fine restaurants and bars, with seating on the sidewalk.
Very fun and lively. You may require taking a second bus at the bottom of the hill to get to areas like Copacabana and Ipanema. Taxis and Uber are a great option. All in all a wonderful stay in a typical Brazilian apartment and neighborhood. Your view is of the forested area rising to the Tijuca Forest. In the morning there are little monkeys running along the telephone wires just below your living room window! You know you're in Rio!