Mark is a very nice host. He allowed us to drop off our bags before check-in time so we could stick with plans that came up for us that day. The apartment is very nice, clean, and spacious. It is the quietest place I have ever stayed in NY. It was a nice respite after busy days in Manhatten. The bed was firm, which was perfect for us. It usually took us about 40-50 minutes walking/subway to get to where we wanted to go in Manhattan. He has a binder with lots of information about the local area. There are some hip looking restaurants along the walk between the subway station and the apartment, but all in all a pretty sleepy neighborhood.