So I stayed in Vanessa's place for a month as sort of a halfway house upon moving to the city while I found work and an apartment. It really was the perfect place for that. I essentially had the basement to myself. They have their washer and dryer by the room, so they would come down to do laundry, but they always tried to time it for when I wasn't home to maximize privacy. When we did run into each other, Vanessa's entire family was super friendly and accommodating. The neighborhood was a little shocking for someone from a very small farming town, but I never felt unsafe because there are cops on the block almost constantly and really well lit shops all the way between the subway station and the house. The 4 train is a 3 minute walk away, and there is a grocery store right across the street. The value in Vanessa's room really is the convenience of it all!
Here are some things that didn't bother me at all but might bother someone pickier than me:
-The bed is very, very firm. So if you require a perfect bed to get decent sleep then maybe bring a mattress pad.
-This is in a busy neighborhood, so you will hear noises from outside. It is just normal city noise that you would get anywhere other than a sound-proofed house, so again if you are light sleeper this might not be for you.
-The room is clean and there are plenty of kitchen amenities, but this is a family home, so they do have storage downstairs and will be down there at times. This is not a private apartment rent, and you don't have your own entrance.
Again, this was such a pleasant stay and I was happy to call it home for a month!