The apartment itself is really great! It was very clean and decorated very tastefully. It was spacious and comfortable and offered all the amenities any family would need for a comfortable stay. Linens were nice quality (I always check that) and there were some nice details (like some fresh fruit on the dining room table and bottled water in the fridge). Communication with Bertus was good. He was always quick to answer questions but very much "hands off" - optimum privacy. The neighborhood was reasonably peaceful, and there are several bodegas and small restaurants close, though none delivered. (See below for more information.)
The only potential downside I can see is the location. If you are going to NYC as a tourist, most of your time will be spent in Manhattan, and this place is a long way from Manhattan. An uber to the Rockaway Park train station is $8, and from there you can catch the L train into the East Village, but it is about a 45 minute ride. If you are going to lower Manhattan (Times Square, et al), you'll need to add another train line and about 15 minutes to the trip. Once we got the hang of it, it was no big deal but it might be an issue for families with young kids or people that prefer to be in the center of the action. Also worth noting is that, for some reason, we could not find any restaurants or pharmacies that would deliver to us, which I thought was weird for NYC. If there are some we didn't find, maybe putting together a "preferred vendors" list for renters would be helpful.
Thanks for a great trip!