Carla met us at the entrance at the agreed-upon time. All went well. She is hospitable, she familiarized us with the apartment, its amenities, the neighbourhood, as well as passing along some tidbits of knowledge about Lisbon. At the outset, we were well taken care of.
We specifically wanted to be in the heart of this historic city, and this apartment suited us completely. We wanted to feel the vibe, we wanted to be in an "everyday" sort of neighbourhood -- to savour living in such a place. And we did. The street came alive in the evening as restaurants and bars became busy with patrons. It was a bit noisy but we actually liked the noise; it was the sounds of people socializing and having fun with friends (there was no apparent rowdiness). We felt very safe in this city. I even became lost one evening at 1am (I hate admitting that) and I felt at ease walking the narrow streets en route to finding my way back, eventually. In all, this apartment is a great place to stay -- and a great location to start exploring what Lisbon has to offer. "I recommend, without hesitation.