This is a great value. Anything in Manhattan (at least, that we could afford!) is going to be small by non-city-dweller standards, and our party of five definitely took up all the available space. But of course one doesn't usually come to NYC only to hang out in the apartment! The fully-functional kitchen was great for fixing breakfasts and snacks, but one could cook all one's meals there if desired (though we also go to NYC to eat in great restaurants...).

As others have noted, the proximity to Central Park and to the subway (esp. the B/C train at 110th, about a 3 min walk) makes this an ideal location for those doing a lot in Manhattan. We had originally planned to stay in Brooklyn, but since a lot of our time is spent in midtown and the museums on the upper east and west sides, this was a much better deal.

We are a mixed American-German family and noted that a lot of the apartment's elements are very European -- from the very efficient use of space to the foreign-language tracks on the available DVDs! Also, the apartment has a wheeled grocery carrier that is standard in European apartments but rare here -- very handy for our one major shopping trip (excellent grocery stores nearby, as noted by others). We also noted that a lot of the reviews are from Europeans who, I'm sure, find the apartment just right for their needs. Some Americans may take note of (1) the five flights of stairs; (2) the shortage of floor space, particularly when the living room couch is folded out to made a bed; (3) the lack of hooks for hanging clothes on the backs of doors and extra towels on the kitchen and bathroom walls; and (4) the windows that don't always close and lock perfectly. None of this bothered us but it might catch some by surprise.

Daniel/Giancarlo was a great host and was very communicative (though he prefers texts to e-mail and so didn't see one of our early e-mails to him -- this may be an airbnb forwarding issue, however). We were able to fix a small problem with the shower with a visit to a local plumbing store that is about 2 minutes' walk away (!) and he is paying for that, even though he wouldn't have had to do so. We appreciated that good will from a host who lives some distance away.

We would definitely stay here again.