Alex and his wife are very nice. The first day we arrived I asked whether we can have one more blanket, Alex said yes and then bought a NEW one for us!
They have good taste of art, and have a great collection of vintage lamps, as well as music and paintings. The neighbourhood is like a art area with great graffiti, which are better than I'ver seen in other places(I travelled a lot). Besides it's safe to live there. One night I went back in the midnight and it was totally OK, I didn't feel dangerous or what.
The place is very close to the subway, so it will be easy for you to go to downtown.
The only disadvantage is that we could hear people walking by in the corridor, so I used ear plugs when sleeping. But the neighbors were pretty quiet, so it's not a big problem.