We were let into the apartment by Larah's brother who lives upstairs. He insisted on carrying our bags up to the apartment saying "New Yorkers have a reputation for being unfriendly" - well he certainly wasn't! He showed us all the details of the apartment and gave us maps and a bottle of wine to welcome us. The apartment is lovely - very clean, comfortably and well-equiped. It feels like home. We became inveterate riders of the "A" train even taking it to JFK at the end of our stay, but most of all we walked and walked and walked, and always felt safe, even at night. There are plenty of restaurants and food shops nearby.