Location location location. Mathilde's apartment was amazing. The location was sooo convenient to just about every subway line (within 2 small blocks) so you could get just about anywhere quickly. Amazing cafes, bars and real espresso coffee options everywhere. A great wholefoods supermarket within a block, just everything you could possibly want when staying down in the Soho part of town.
The apartment was really well designed for space, had everything you needed and some nice furnishings and pictures that made us really feel at home, its pretty small, but so is everything down there! Bed was really comfy and best of all it was quiet at night after long days of exploring and dinners/bars. Only minor frustration is that the water pressure in the shower is pretty low, however again thats probably the same wherever you go!
Mathilde was a great host she was very responsive and helpful with tips from where to eat and drink to where we should shop to find shoes! I highly recommend staying at her place and visiting Tacombi (a cool mexican restaurant 5 doors down).