If you're looking for a hip neighborhood to stay in and explore, this might be a perfect location from you. It's very much a neighborhood popular with local teens and college students, and you'll see a lot of them hanging out on the weekends or nights. Because of that there are endless places to eat and shop (I recommend trying some of the Japanese curry shops and going thrift shopping!) The two train lines get you to Shibuya or Shinjuku very quickly. You can even reach Tokyo station without a transfer on the correct train. No JR trains come to this neighborhood, which might be something you want to consider if you're using a JR pass at all. As for the apartment, I found it very comfortable as a solo traveler and could see it working well for a couple or a pair of friends too. You may find some things uncomfortable if you're tall (greater than 5' 10"), like the ceiling in the shower is fairly low. The apartment had all the necessary amenities, like a bigger TV, extra blankets, laundry detergent, and kitchen supplies. Although you're pretty close to the station and main part of Shimokita, it's fairly quite as it's off to a side street. I recommend Mary's place if you're looking to try living away from the main tourist areas! It's quite unique as there are very few other places to stay in this neighborhood, including hotels.