Potential deal breaker first: The bathroom to the place is through the host's bedroom. This is as much of a problem as you make it; Ella is incredibly accommodating and does not noticeably wake easily.
I think Ella's place is a pretty good choice for anyone wanting a taste of new york. The location is great, Ella is a wonderful host, and while the whole apartment is itself small, your room is surprisingly large! I only have some minor complaints to do with the age of the apartment (such as no thermostat for the space heaters and some wear and tear in the bathroom), but I overall very much enjoyed my stay and would strongly consider coming back!
Ella's home is a great little apartment tucked away near Washington square and literally on the same block as several restaurants, bars, and a CVS. While it is on a fifth floor walk-up (no elevator), you are easily walking distance of tons of places to check out and only a few minutes of walking away from two subway stops (4th West and Bleeker/Lafayette), which can take you to most things to see in manhattan.
I was provided with a towel, soap that lasted about a week, and a wash cloth.
The room you'll stay in is accurately-portrayed and quite large, easily accommodating two or three people. The couch is even quite comfortable! There is a desk and it is functional but I strongly suggest using the couch over it, since the couch is much more comfortable. There is a closet but it's mostly filled-up. There's more space available under the bed and in the dresser, though honestly the room is large enough for you to just have stuff on the floor. There is additionally a space heater in the room which is on consistently during the winter months, likely requiring you to crack open one of the (large) windows in the room to balance it out. There is some sound from the street outside but not nearly as bad as I was expecting (I easily tuned it out).
Ella is a great host but can work long hours sometimes (outside of the home). She still responds quickly to text messages and is helpful with suggestions of places to visit. She sometimes has phone conversations with friends or listens to music (j'accuse!) - both of which are easily tuned out by closing your door. She also had friends over at some point during my stay and while they were noticeably louder, they all frequently offered to be quieter if I minded (I didn't).
Overall I enjoyed my stay.