All in all our stay at B's place was great.
The apartment is small but does have two rooms so we had where to leave all our things. It's pretty dark so if you need a lot of air and light, this isn't the place for you. On the other hand, it's on the first floor so no long climb at the end of the day!
We loved being near central park. In terms of getting around, we didn't use buses at all but the subway isn't far- I'd say about a 10 minute walk.
Communication was pretty good. B was very friendly and helpful before we arrived and we found everything we need at the apartment.