Staying at Zoie's place was great. It's about a 20 minute walk to the French Quarter, but closer to Frenchman Street and all the great music there. The St Roch Market around the corner has fantastic food and drink options as well.
The photos of Zoie's place don't do it justice. It was fun and funky and pretty quiet. There is only one bathroom for all the guests to share, but it was rarely an issue for us. Each room has its own coffee maker which was a nice touch.
The neighborhood felt pretty safe. We walked around a lot during the day, but mostly took cabs home at night, largely because we were always a bit drunk so it seemed like a good idea.
If we had one complaint it was that the bed was a little saggy. Personally I didn't mind but my sister had trouble sleeping on it. Noise wasn't an issue though.
I'd stay here again.