I contacted Katerina with many questions about our stay in NYC and she replied with lots of very good advice and links. The unit is clean and about a 10 minute walk to Utica subway station. We travelled extensively using the subway and found it to be very convenient and safe. The neighbourhood is very multi cultural, but again, we felt safe and many African Americans helped us with maps and subway guides when we first arrived.
We booked a car to take us to the airport and it cost $40. There is a fixed price cab charge of $50 to get there from the airport.
The unit is well appointed with a fridge and cooking facilities (which we did not use). It has no TV, which did not affect us as we were out early and home late. The internal stairs are steep and would not suit a person with mobility problems, but we are active 60+ year olds and had no problems. The local area had several delis where you can buy sandwiches, take away food, groceries and at Utica station, there is a bigger supermarket selling groceries and fruit and vegetables.
We enjoyed our stay and would recommend Katerina's unit if you don't mind a walk to the station and riding the subway.