Do stay in this more than lovely apartment. My daughter and I enjoyed it a lot. The area is a mix of community feel of the neighborhood, beautiful brownstone houses, artists, new appartments but definitely also poorer houses and poorer parts, all in one area. Which gives it a raw and cool feel you have to like. Manhattan is quite far from this location: our advice would be to become a Citi Bike member and take the electric bikes. They are so much fun! You can either bike all the way to Manhattan, (biking through Brooklyn is easy, many bike lanes) or use it as a means of transportation: to and from the Atrain on Nostrand. Enjoy!