Nikki and her staff were great. There were a couple of hiccups but as Shakespeare said, "All's well that ends well." The house is great space, functional, and decorated very nicely and felt very homelike. We had a great sense of privacy despite the proximity of neighbors. Having a heated pool with the cold weather was exceptionally nice.
Nikki's recommendations were spot on and with the neighborhood that features new and hip places like the coffee shops and restaurants (many of which within walking distance) the down home N'awlins vibe was still very prominent. You have to go to Frady's Market.
If you like to walk or run, the river walk along the Mississippi is a must use (very close to where we stayed) and you're only about a mile and a half from the French Quarter. Kudos to Nikki and her team for putting their best foot forward and making our experience the best it could be.