Newly renovated apartment, very clean, surprisingly quiet despite the very busy neighborhood. Communication was easy. We stayed in the apartment for 10 days and it was fine since the whether was great and we only needed the place to sleep. However, if you want a place where you can hangout and socialize, this apartment won't be for you. The kitchen is nice but not really a replacement for a living room and there is no other area to stay unless you want to lay down in your bed. There is a washing machine but no dryer and it takes 48-72 hrs for your laundry to dry (despite temperatures in the 70s to 80s outside). The apartment is on the ground floor so anybody with access to the courtyard can see inside. However, there are not many people walking past the windows. The building itself has not been updated and the hallway leading to the apartment is full of Graffiti. This seems to be a common theme though for Berlin and the residents of the other apartments we met in the hallway seemed very friendly (lots of families). The neighborhood is very busy with tons of shops and restaurants, lots of bicycles, young families, LOTS of people! Transit is great. You have access to the U-Bahn, the S-Bahn, and the tram within a 5 minute walking distance. Overall we had a great time in Berlin although I do think you can find a similar place for quite a bit cheaper.