I loved Yaya's place! The apartment is decorated beautifully and both bedrooms are clean and comfortable. The view is great as well.
One thing I really liked about Yaya's place was the location. It's about a 15 minute walk from the beach and about 12 minutes from the metro. I was wary about the walk initially, but as I stayed longer I realized that it's perfect. The walk is gorgeous and gives you the opportunity to see the neighborhood, and by being in the North Leblon area you're walking distance to the attractions in the Gávea/Jardim Botânico district.
I found that the neighborhood was very safe. I was never harassed or felt uncomfortable, even while walking at night. Obviously exercise caution, but in general I felt like it definitely defied the "dangerous Rio" stereotype.