We stayed with 2 young boys and this was a great launch pad for our NYC adventures. Staten island is a quiet place to crash! We could park on the street in front of the house for free, so we were able to pack the cooler and all the things that make traveling with kids easier. The boys alternated who was going to sleep in the bedroom and who slept on the futon in the living area. They actually preferred the futon! There is an apartment size fridge/ freezer so we were able to keep yogurt/milk/ breakfast food at the apartment and save having to buy that meal out. There are quite a few stairs up to the apartment, but Mark warns about that in his description. We also had a little hiccup with the door codes, but that seemed to be a glitch in matrix and Mark was readily available to help us, even though we arrived rather late at night. With kids in tow, the walk to the ferry took its about 20 minutes. A great location!! Highly recommend.