Karin was a gracious and wonderful hostess, giving detailed information that was very helpful. The brownstone is close to a grocery store, the metro, the bus and is very convenient to Columbia University. As a single female walking everywhere, I felt very safe in the neighborhood. I would definitely recommend the brownstone. The only drawback was the room is quite warm in August with only a skylight. The upside is Karin provided a fan and there is so much to do, very little time too get too hot.