Andrew and Alexandra's place turned out to be a perfect place to stay. At first, we were concerned about the area being out of the way of where we wanted to explore but ended up learning about NE LA which is really interesting! In the morning, we loved driving down to Figueroa and hanging at Civil Coffee, great food also get to watch a parade of local characters. Then, not far at all from downtown, can even take surface streets, which we prefer to the freeway. The space itself is really bright and very well appointed. Free parking and a living room/kitchenette make it a much better choice than a hotel.