Lou is a fantastic host, always communicative and helpful. As for the apartment, it is nicely decorated and fairly spacious for NYC standards. Some issues were mentioned by previous travelers - it is a bit of an art to take a shower without burning yourself. The heater in the bedroom really makes a lot of noise, and the bedroom actually felt quite cold. I saw a mouse running around in the night, but I guess that is to be expected in these old houses. Overall, the place is good value for the price, but calling it a gem might be a bit of an overstatement.