We really liked Alex's apartment, it is very well decorated. I knew the neighbourhood in advance, and this visit only confirmed that staying around the Jefferson L is great: you're at Union Square within a 17 minutes subway ride, there are good restaurants and coffee bars, and you still feel safe after dark. I left earlier, so my parents (60+) stayed over for a couple more nights on their own and they felt completely comfortable there. Only drawback is that I think in summer the apartment will be really hot, it feels like it does not cool down very well. Oh and the refrigerator is super noisy, so we just unplugged it.