Merc's place was just perfect both as an apartment and as a brilliantly located base from which to see Porto. We spent eight nights there and it was really a home from home.
The bedroom is on the back of the property so, even during the world cup when late night revellers were trekking back up from Ribeira, the street noise wasn't a problem.
Being close to the river, you get to hear the gentle calling of the seagulls which, after eight days, became a defining sound of Porto for us. Nothing to do with the apartment, but an unexpected acoustic bonus.