I didn't get a chance to meet Nora but I did meet Gonzalo. We arrived past midnight but Gonzalo was very welcoming and gave us a lot of tips on how to get around since it was me and my friends ' first time in New York. The little basement apartment is very cute and was very accommodating to our needs. We didn't spend much time there because we were too busy being out and about exploring the city, but the time we did spend there was comfortable and truly felt like at home. The neighborhood is friendly and the commute to manhattan isn't too bad. I'm from California so I've never used subways, but I figured it out quite quickly. It's about a 40 minute commute in public transportation and about 20-30 minute commute in car (at the right time!!). However, the neighborhood where Nora and Gonzalo's place is at is quite colorful. They have a really good bagel place walking distance and Indian place right around the corner. Also, bus stops are all walking distance.