I had a fabulous time in New York, and a little part of that was because of Kate, her little dog Blu and the authentic place.
During my stay at Kate's place, she was on vacation herself. Her friend was there to welcome me very friendly and explained everything.

The little dog "Blu" was indeed very lovely and welcomed me every time I came back from a trip to the city.

For the loft: What you see is what you get. The photos are very accurate. One thing to keep in mind is that the apartment is directly next to the bridge, and trains are going there till late night. You will hear them. For me that was part of the experience, but others may be annoyed by that noise.