Barbara was very accommodating. She had a lot of wonderful maps, books, and information on sites to visit while in NYC. The room was very comfortable and she made us feel at home by allowing us to use her kitchen. While we were mostly out and about town, it was wonderful to return to a "home" and not a hotel. Her location is a very short walk to the subway. Amazingly, for being right in the heart of things it was very quiet. Yes, you could hear the occassional siren but we slept very soundly on her comfortable bed.