This is a sophisticated and comfortable apartment, perfect for a couple of nights, a week, or longer. Located in an increasingly exciting neighborhood, it's convenient to subway, good restaurants, and practical shops. I go to New York for business where doing two-night stays is an expense I'd like to manage, and this is the perfect solution for me.

The entrance is up the front steps and - once inside the foyer - down some stairs. (Soon it will be accessible directly from the street, according to the owner.) A small anteroom serves as a buffer to street noise (virtually none) and to the weather, and creates a sense of privacy. As you enter the apartment, you come into a large living room with a comfortable couch and tasteful artwork evoking vintage French and New York themes, hung or propped against the walls. The palette for the apartment mid-tone hues of blues an grays (beautifully chosen) with white trim, creating a clean, swanky look reminiscent to me of a W Hotel. Across from the couch is a big flatscreen TV with cable and Roku. The coffee table, rug, and chair make this a good place for conversation. Next to this seating area is another one - a round table with three comfortable chairs, which could be a work table or a place to eat.

Yes,you can cook your meals here, useful on longer stays when time or budget are best spent indoors doing work.

The kitchen is filled out with new, elegant white cabinetry, sink, stove, microwave, and - against one wall - a tall, beautiful refrigerator. In the drawers, cookware that of good grade. This kitchen is thoughtful, beautiful, and ready to go.

The bathroom is all-new, with a lovely wooden basin, ample shower, and several touches that, again, evoke some of your better hotels. The peppermint body soap in the shower is great. I hope they don't change that - it's as good as a double shot of espresso in the morning.

The big, beautiful light fixture in the living room has a mate in the bedroom, painted in a slightly darker color, making it a calm place. The closet is huge, easily twice the size of most hotel closets. The hosts have provided a large-dial electric clock, a smaller TV, and a very comfortable bed with top-quality pillows, very warm down comforter, and linens that were luxurious.

A few other points: This is an all-new renovation, but it still has a home-like feel. The new floors are wood. The wainscoting, painted white, still has a hint of the house's age. The walls and ceiling are solid, adding to a sense of quiet and privacy.

Are there downsides? If you're reluctant to use the subway, you'll have to cab here and away. But with the money you're saving compared to comparable comfort in New York, you can pay for cabs, and a couple of very nice dinners that otherwise wouldn't be in your budget.

A real find.