Eric was very nice host, he even let us into the apartment in the middle of the night when our flight was delayed. The neighbourhood feels very safe and friendly, it's a lot quite there than it is in manhattan, which is nice after a long day exploring the city. There are more than enough shops and places to eat nearby; the next Metro station is only a few minutes from the apartment and from there it takes about twenty minutes to half an hour to get to the centre of manhattan.
The apartment itself has most things you need, there is even a little terrace facing the back yard.