The apartment was exactly as described and the many reviews are completely accurate of the apartment, hosts, and location. The size is cozy, but I never once felt it too small for three of us (myself, husband, and 4 year old). Definitely better than a cramped hotel room.
We decided to stay here because it was close to the start line for the NY marathon which my husband was running in. It was just under a mile to the start and my husband walked there. This allowed him to sleep in and not worry about getting to Staten Island hours early. So this was great! The trip back was a bit more tiring that usual, but he had just run 26.2 miles!
We did not rent any car but relied on public transportation. That was great -- super easy. It's about a 1/4 mile to the bus stop. Getting home from the city often took us about 1.5-2 hours. That got a little tiring, but it was still fun. I think the only thing my husband wished was there was a TV -- but I was completely content without it! I watched shows on my Tablet and my son watched his shows on my phone.
All in all, a great value.