I never met Julia (who was away on a trip when I arrived) instead I met her mother Maria. Maria made me feel more than welcome, she was very kind and friendly, acting to help me a lot. The room itself was very nice, the bed was massive and very comfortable and right next to the bathroom. There was plenty of fridge space and a cooking area too. She was even nice enough to let my friend stay the last night and then leave her suitcase there for a few days for a few extra dollars.
The only thing I found a bit difficult was the noise at night of the pipes in the room and of traffic outside but I'm sure you'd find this anywhere in NYC and using some of the earbuds she had left worked a charm.