The apartment is in a great location, close to Hudson Yards, The High Line and the Javits Center. Local amenities include restaurants, supermarkets and a delicatessen. As others have mentioned, the exterior may put some people off, but once inside, the apartment is just as described. The construction site across the road was very noisy during the day, but this is outside of the host's control and is pretty typical for this hustling, bustling city.
The shower temperature wasn't very warm, whereas the heating in the flat was quite overpowering at times. We did let Luiggi know and he did get his brother to call round (along with the building supervisor). Unfortunately this wasn't remedied until the final days of our trip. The stay gave us a lasting impression of what life must be like for New Yorkers living so close to midtown Manhattan, definitely a trip we'll remember for a long time!