Me and my girlfriend spent 8 nights at Jie's place.
He was very responsive to our messages before and during our stay.
The place is a bit more used and old than the pictures show but everything is working well.
The building and neighbourhood are unpretentious but safe. There's a university just near. In 5 minutes distance you have a few grocery stores and cafés.
You can reach downtown Manhattan in aprox. 40 minutes and you need 10-15 minutes from the train to the apartment. Totally doable but if you spent all day walking around the city it can be tiring in the evening.
We recommend this place for a budget longer stay in New York.