My daughter and I stayed at Noel's apartment for three nights during our visit to D.C. Noel was very friendly and welcoming for the brief time we spent with her. Her apartment is in a building that has seen better days so don't expect a four star experience. In particular the elevator has a pretty funky smell to it. That said, Noel's apartment is full of great art and decorations, and it was comfortable enough for us. Her neighbours were all very friendly when we ran into them. The walk to the metro took about 15 minutes, but in good during weather it was no hardship.
Overall we enjoyed our stay and felt welcome.