Teresa is a very responsive host who lives downstairs if you need her. Steps up are quite steep so this is definitely a problem for older travelers or those with heavy luggage. Also, the bathrm sink is so narrow most people will find it more comfortable to wash up in the kitchen. Be aware the 2nd bedrm is accessed by walking through the 1st. These are structural things Teresa cannot change. She said she'll replace the air conditioning units & kitchen screen to prevent the mosquito attack we weren't prepared for, probably left by previous guests trying to avoid Aug in NY...Still, we had a great time! The kitchen was well stocked for cooking with real olive oil, good coffee maker & spices beyond salt & pepper. Knives in the kitchen were sharp. I could name names, but you should explore the local shops within a 3 block radius. Fish market which also had good prices on organic eggs, great Italian butcher shop, natural foods stores, 2 bakeries (bread/desserts). Small shops featuring items like freshly made mozarellla, olives, pickles, meatballs, asparagus salad. Hangout coffee shop, wine shop & of course, excellent pizza. You can even check out the Brooklyn Library. Access to subway lines is excellent. Take the G to see the Botanical Garden/Prospect Park. The L will take you to Manhatten. Our flight was delayed so late our rental car agreement wasn't honored at JFK. We were able to take the AirTrain to the Howard Beach A Line to Brooklyn before we finally used a cab late at night. This set us up for using the subways extensively the rest of our stay using a 7 day pass. NY is full of challenges & surprises. Teresa's deck would be delightful at another time of year, so we can't regret booking our stay because we needed to attend a wedding. We had great access to every other part of the city from the World Trade Center to the Bronx without a rental car. Life is beautiful.