Ava and Gustavo's extraordinarily spacious apartment is unique, in my experience. With its two floors, two social living spaces, 2-1/2 baths, and two terraces, there's ample room to stretch out, inside and out.
In reality, this apartment is huge, the size of many houses. The marvelous location on the top floor allows one to enjoy sitting and dining in the fresh air, even when it's raining. We saw lots of birds, who came to visit the plants on the terrace. A hummingbird zoomed in and out.
The apartment is in Flamengo, a centrally located, safe residential neighborhood that allows one to experience how Cariocas live. This is not a tourist zone, and that is one of the neighborhood's wonderful strengths. The Metro is within a five minute walk, as are supermarkets, pharmacies, a wonderful baked delicacies shop (Casa do Pão), and several gyms. Santos Dumont airport is a 10 minute Uber ride away.
Ava and Gustavo were very responsive, friendly, and hospitable.