We stayed at Dean's apartment for over a month while visiting the East Coast. Dean was kind enough to allow us to check out later than originally planned to accommodate our evening departure back to Spain. Although we spent our days discovering the city and the surrounding region (Hudson Valley, Princeton, New Haven, Boston, and Washington), we used the kitchen daily. We also had sweet dreams at night in the comfy bed. We appreciated all the amenities included, from the hairdryer and the umbrella for those crisp and rainy days of October to the washing machine + dryer and the shared gym downstairs.
Although the area didn't seem the safest, we had no issues during our stay. It's a 2-minute walk to the closest LIRR station (Nostrand Av) and a 5-minute walk to the nearest subway station (Nostrand Av; A [express] and C [local] trains). The latter will take you to Manhattan and other areas of Brooklyn. It will also allow you to take the JFK AirTrain. We recommend the Key Food supermarket (5-minute walk) if you want a not-so-expensive option with the basics near the apartment.