James' room was affordable, easily accessible via public transportation and looked as advertised. The only thing was that there is some sort of radiator or heating element in his spare room, which you can't control at all, which rendered the room warm to the point of discomfort. On the plus side, you certainly will not be cold if you stay there, but it really was quite hot.
I walked (a bit far) from James' house to a place called Patacon Pisao on Grand Avenue in Queens for some absolutely delicious Venezuelan food. From Patacon, it is a short walk back to the subway where you can get back to Manhattan or anywhere else you want to go. There are also bus and subway stops quite walkable directly from James' house.