I was greeted warmly by Emily and she showed me my room and all the public areas for my use. The location was excellent for my needs--very near Columbia University, the convenience stores, MacDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, Duane Reade and many variety of restaurants to choose from. It is also very near a subway station stop and within walking distance to both subway stops. The neighborhood is as safe as it can be for New York City. Since it's near a university, there are many students walking on the streets, even at night. So it is safe. I had a very nice experience staying there for my needs.