Fern's place was just right for what we needed. It was close to the venue we were in town for. West Lake center, groceries and Pike's Place were all relatively close (5-20 minute drive). We were newbies from Texas. We rented a car locally for exploring. Public transit isn't too difficult to figure out. It cost me $5.50/100 minutes to get from the airport to Aurora/145th. City life all shuts down around 1:30am, just keep that in mind if you are a night owl. You will want to plan food/eating ahead of time as options become scarce after midnight (in this area).
At any rate, the place was quiet, accommodating and affordable for travelers on a budget. I would stay here again.