Mario is a wonderful, thoughtful host. Upon my arrival he acquainted me with his home and we toured his very hip Brooklyn neighborhood, brimming with bars and eateries. One block away at the end of his street is the incredibly beautiful Brooklyn Heights Promenade which stretches to Brooklyn Bridge Park and boasts views of the Statue of Liberty and the tip of the Manhattan peninsula, all right on the Hudson River. Mario's apartment is clean, peaceful and welcoming and he went out of his way to make us feel at home.