I stayed at 'Cil's place for 3 nights during a short trip to NYC with 3 of my girlfriends. We took Megabus, which had an awkward arrival time of 3 am, however, 'Cil was very flexible with check-in and was able to give us instructions to get in that late in the night!
The neighbourhood felt very safe, no issues there, and 'Cil's place was just a short walk to the Subway on Astoria Blvd. There's a great place to get bagels nearby, too! As for going into Manhattan, most of our commutes took about 15-45 min. (by subway), depending on where you wanted to go.
'Cil did not miss a beat ensuring that her guests would have a good stay. The bathroom was very clean, and all amenities were provided (towels, shampoos, and the like). There was a TV and 'Cil even included some fruits, snacks, and drinks with the mini fridge! Basically, if you're wondering if she's got it, she probably does...
It is a basement, and the 2 air mattresses and 1 double mattress make the room pretty cramped. However, if you're out in the city all day like we were (even despite the bomb cyclone that hit us while we were there!), this isn't a big deal. There's room to sleep and get dressed, that's all we needed, and there was plenty of privacy.
I'm very impressed with the professionalism and courtesy that 'Cil provided. If you're looking for a fairly priced place to stay while visiting NYC, look no further than 'Cil's place in Astoria!