We didn't have a lot of time to research where to stay in Brazil so were looking primarily at Ipanema. We almost stayed at a small B&B in ipanema, which was well reviewed, but then by luck, a friend sent us a listing for this place. We were lucky enough to spend our 3 nights in Rio (wish had been longer!). The apartment is very fun, both in terms of all the discored items you will find over the course of your stay and the beautiful art pieces, like the funky metal wardrobe in the bedroom. The views are amazing, and watching the planes land at the domestic airport is pretty awesome (they have to curve in over the mountains and bank quickly into a runway that extends over the water). It wound up being a perfect location. Rio Sul mall is nearby and easy to catch a cab or bus anywhere in the city. When we had cabbies who didn't speak English or Spanish, we were able to use Rio Sul as our dropoff. Because it is a bit north of Copacabana and Ipanema, it is easier/faster to get to Santa Theresa or Lapa, which is a plus, and it is on the route for the (illegal) vans that travel the main tourist areas (Ipanema, Copacabana, Leblon), which we used a lot. So basically I would stay here again in a heartbeat, but we will have to hope that the next chance we get to go to Rio, it isn't already booked!

P.S. I think some of the other posts mentioned noise. While it is true that at street level, there is a lot going on, the only noise "issue" we had at the apt was the rather strong rain hitting the metal panels around the bedroom one night, which I understand is rare since storms are not the frequent.