I had an excellent stay at Lydia's private studio. As an ex-new yorker I probably won't have the same complaints as other tourists. The studio is on the 5th floor with no elevator, and that can be a lot of exercise for some, if you need to come and go a lot. I personally didn't mind it!
Apartment is clean and very well located. Only con about the place would be the lack of dark curtains in the room, it's hard to sleep past 6am because of the light so I had to buy eye covers. Noise level is decent for new york.
To summarize:
pros: very good price for your own private place, easy access to the rest of the city, not too noisy.
Cons: lack of dark curtains, 5th floor with no elevator.
Thanks for everything Lydia!