We stayed in Elena's apartment with our three children (6 months old, 5 yrs, and 7 yrs). Elena was a wonderful hostess. She was very responsive leading up to our arrival and made sure to have a baby cot waiting for us. Similar to many apartments in Venice, there is no AC. With recent hot weather, we were grateful that Elena provided three electric fans. Elena also made sure to have someone meet us at the train station and walk us to the apartment so there was no confusion on finding her unit. The actual apartment is spacious and has wonderful light and air (it is on the third floor). We loved sleeping with the windows open at night. Bugs nets hang over each bed and worked great because of mosquitos. The view from the front rooms overlook a mildly busy canal. I say mildly because it has about the right amount of traffic to keep it entertaining and remind you that you are in Venice but not so busy that engine noise and traffic is overwhelming. The location is excellent if you would like something that is close to to everything but away from heavy tourist areas. Campo Santa Margherita and Campo San Barbara are both shorts walks away and offer excellent laid back environments. Grocery store, ATM and several cafe's and restaurants are in Campo Santa Margherita. We ate in one of these two locations every night and enjoyed having dinner and drinks outside and felt comfortable letting our two kids (5 & 7) run around before and after dinner. We found these spots to have an enjoyable level of activity and pace. They were great spots to end the day after spending time in some of the more tourist centered areas that are packed! The Grand Canal and the Ca Rezzonica water bus stop are a short walk away. Important for us because we had a stroller, we were able to get to Ca Rezzonica by crossing only one bridge. From Ca Rezzonica, Rialto, St Marks etc are only a few stops away. From the train station, I believe there are five or six bridges to cross to get to the apartment so keep that in mind with bags and suitcases. Overall we loved staying here because of the quality of the apartment and the location being close but out of the main flow of things. When we left, we opted for a water taxi to the airport and it was definitely a great way to leave as it picked us up right outside. The water taxi was expensive but worth it in my opinion as it was not only convenient but also a scenic and memorable ride home. We would definitely stay here again.