Desmar is a friendly, attentive, helpful host who is fun to talk to. He is obviously a great neighbor too! His block is quiet, which surprised me in such a big city. We woke up to bird songs in the morning.
The daylight basement studio is cozy and has just about everything you need. There is a bodega down the street with the basics and a great pizza place (Giovanni's) on the corner.
The studio is very close to the subway (2, 4, 5) so it is easy to get downtown or to Brooklyn, but it isn't close. It is pretty close to Central Park north.