We stayed at Russell's place for a long family weekend, and couldn't have been more pleased. The apartment was spotless - his cleaners obviously take their job seriously! The place was exactly as shown in the photos. The neighborhood seems to have a lot of families, and felt very safe. It's very quiet as well. Not once were we awakened by street noise or sirens. It's only a short walk to the N train at Astoria Blvd station, via which you can get right into the heart of Manhattan in under 30 minutes. We were able to score a street parking space almost right in front of the apartment, and just left our car parked for the duration of our visit.
Check-in was easy, beds were comfortable, and there was plenty of hot water for showers. (We traveled with two teens, so that's especially vital!) Wifi was fast and reliable. The remotes for the split system heat and AC are a bit difficult to decipher. We had the same system in our old house, and still couldn't remember what all the symbols meant. A quick google search found the answers.
We did not have the opportunity to meet Russell, but he responded very promptly to messages.
We wouldn't hesitate to stay again, and would highly recommend this apartment and host!