Sarah and Burak's place was perfect for what we needed. It was about a 30 min Uber ride to Manhattan. The water ferry was a great option as well. There is a big park right next to the house that has running trails and a playground for kiddos (that includes a splash pad).
We stayed in the basement bungalow, which was pretty bright for a basement. However, the Airbnb tenants upstairs were pretty loud on our last night. And just a heads up for any tall people out there: the ceilings are a bit low. It wasn't an issue for this group of shorties, but might be a concern for others.