Brian's place is in such a fantastic neighborhood! I stayed for 3 nights for the marathon and while the stairs were a challenge after the race, overall it wasn't a problem in the slightest. His place is incredibly close to great restaurants and shopping. It was very clean and simple and while there was street noise, it was expected in such a happening place. I slept wonderfully with ear plugs. The rooftop acces was really cool as well, seeing the Chrysler Building and Freedom tower lit up at night was awesome. His roommate was very friendly and quiet and we hardly saw eachother.
I would absolutely recommend staying at Brian's place and hope to do so again in the future.