We have enjoyed our stay in Ben's apartment. It has always felt like a pleasant retreat at the end of a busy day in the big noisy city. Communication was friendly, quick and straightforward. Ben is accommodating and nice. However, since we were always out for most of the day, we didn't see each other much. The "upstairs" of the apartment is on the first floor and "downstairs" is in the basement. Our room was on the first floor, but the area was relatively quiet for NYC. With good earplugs we could sleep without any problems.