I was worried when I saw the review just before my stay that mentioned rats, the apartment smelling of smoke and the bad internet. The internet was my main gripe (see below).
The apartment itself is large, brightly decorated and is on the top floor so you don't hear people walking above you, which is awesome. Shower water was hot and plentiful and bed was comfortable. I ran into NO rats. There was a very strong smell of cigarette smoke in the stairwell on the 3rd adn 4th floor, but michele's apartment was on the 5th floor so I didn't smell it in the apartment. You can hear street noise from his apartment since he's one building from 1st avenue and if you try to sleep during daytime during the week, the noise from kids playing during recess is pretty loud.
The apartment has a little layer of dust in all of the less used areas (baseboards, on pictures, blinds in windows) so if you have a strong dust allergy, it could get to you but otherwise the place is fine.
The internet was extremely finicky. It worked better on my phone than my laptop, but even when I was trying to upload a facebook post with a picture, it would take an hour sometimes to upload. Then, sometimes it would immediately upload. Not a big deal for me since I was playing in the city most of the time, but super important to know for someone who is going to rely on the internet to figure out what they are going to do or someone in NYC on business.
There was a great pizza place on the corner and easy public transit nearby. Overall, it was a good stay.