We enjoyed our stay at Ali's place in Astoria. The apartment is a 2nd floor walkup in a relatively quiet area, one block south of the busier Broadway section. It's about a five minute walk to the Astoria/Broadway subway stop, which is 4-5 stops from Manhattan Upper East Side, and is within walking distance of dozens of restaurants and shops. It's a great location.
The apartment itself is a legitimate 3 bedroom with queen sized beds in 2 rooms and a twin in the smallest bedroom. There's also a large living space / TV room, and a smaller, but fully functional kitchen with a dining table. Our family of 4 had plenty of space, although it was a little tight sitting at the table for meals, which we did occasionally during our stay (we mostly ate out for lunch/dinner and stayed in for breakfast). We visited in mid-January, on a very cold weekend, but the apartment was always warm and cozy.
The check-in was simple--there is a lockbox attached to the fence on the porch, with keys for the entrance to the building and the apartment. Ali provided the lockbox code via an AirBnb message prior to our arrival. He did not provide his phone # so all communication with him had to occur via AirBnb.
We drove to Astoria from our house, so we needed to park on the street. Arriving on Friday evening meant that it was difficult to find parking. We eventually found a spot a couple of blocks away, and then moved the car near the apartment on Sunday morning when parking was more plentiful.
Given the size and location of the apartment, I consider this to be a decent value (despite the relatively high price), and would stay again. Thanks Ali for a great stay!