This apartment is just as gorgeous as it looks in the photos, and accurately described. (Niya is one of those rare designers who can combine old and new in a really appealing way.) He also has a lovely sweet, kind, energy and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with him and meeting his son. He was really flexible about check-in times and helpful in figuring out how to navigate the subways. He even recommended some local churches to visit for their architecture. (Be sure to check out his list of recommended restaurants etc. I didn't really hang out in the neighborhood, I was there for a conference, so I didn't have a chance to explore those places.)

The room was quiet and roomy, the bed was comfortable, and Niya has included a number of thoughtful amenities— coffee pot, teapot, iron, small ironing board, hair dryer etc. and various extra items in the medicine cabinet.

The street itself is tree-lined and features architecturally interesting old row houses, though parts of the surrounding neighborhood are somewhat rundown and therefore might be intimidating to someone accustomed to more gentrified districts.

I'm not saying they are necessarily unsafe, just that they might "feel" that way to some. So, if you're sensitive about this sort of thing, do your homework with something like Google Street View and make sure this is a good fit for you. (I would definitely stay here again and stroll around during the day. Though as a safety-conscious single woman I would probably take cabs directly to subway stations at night, which is probably a good idea in ANY part of town. As it happened, I had a male friend with me, so I felt fine walking around at night. (I should add that I only really walked in one direction—toward Fulton. I have no idea what sorts of neighborhoods might exist in the other directions. They might be more gentrified.)

Lovely place. Lovely host. Highly recommended. Thanks so much Niya.