Host:
Toni was a great host, he is just next door and responded to messages quickly but did not interfere with our stay. I have no doubt he would have been in hand to help us even more of we have needed. Our flight home was late night and he let us leave our bags for the day and come and pick them up later which gave us extra time to spend in the city.
Room:
The room is small as per the advertisement but has the essentials and a small fridge/freezer, hairdryer, big TV, good hot shower. There were lots of clean towels, a comfy bed and dimmable lights. Having Netflix was great for relaxing when we got home from a long day out.
As per some comments we read, the apartment did have a slight smell but this was helped by opening the windows. Not sure how that could be improved as I'm sure it's a tricky one! In any case it didn't ruin our stay at all.
Area:
We were really glad we chose Astoria as it's a great area, with lots of restaurants and bars, a few of which we got to try, we'd love to have tried more. The area felt safe and the nearest subway is about a ten minute walk. If you arrive from JFK, the subway journey is quite long and involves three trains, so it might be worth considering a taxi.
Would recommend as an affordable, clean place to crash after long days exploring the city.