jennifer is an excellent host, and her home is a wonderful, quiet hillside retreat. the house is a lovely 1915 craftsman with gorgeous interior woodwork, and a spacious interior layout (1400+ sq ft) with lots of large common rooms in addition to the bedrooms. there are also great places to enjoy the warm weather with a good book, both on the front porch and in the backyard. the hillside location puts it up above the main streets, out of reach of the noises of the city (the birds are the only noise you hear), but it is still a very short distance from all the urban conveniences.
it was a little too far for an arthritic elderly woman (my mother-in-law) to walk to the shops & restaurants, but a young person should enjoy the walk. if you are getting around by car, you'll be at any destination in silverlake, los feliz, or echo park in under 5 minutes. and destinations in atwater village, downtown LA, eagle rock and glendale are only about 10 minutes away. it's about 15 minutes to hollywood, burbank, pasadena, and highland park. one of the best breakfast spots in all of LA is a 15-min walk: millie's (open at 7am). but look it up on yelp & see for yourself.
jennifer herself is a very warm & sweet individual who made us feel very welcome in her home. she met us at the house personally to give us the keys and explain the particulars of the house, and then made herself available by phone for the duration of our stay. she's one of those people who makes you feel at ease in a conversation, like she's an old friend. we were also impressed with the community feel of her neighborhood, that she's close & friendly with all her neighbors (she has lived here for 14 years! awesome!). it also made us feel safe & comfortable knowing this, and seeing her neighbors around from time to time in their gardens and on their porches, always offering smiles.
i will re-emphasize that it was very quiet and peaceful. there's a great sense of calm up on that hill, and amazing views out the back windows (even better from the backyard). you really feel like you're away on vacation. and, i forgot to mention, it has central heating and air conditioning, and an easy-to-use thermostat you can adjust to your preferred temperature.
i can say without hesitation that i wholeheartedly recommend this place to anyone, especially fans of southern california arts & crafts architecture & neighborhoods. the front windows in the dining room are the most amazing, beautiful art glass windows, in perfect shape. and most everything else is historically intact, as well. there are a couple spots the house shows its age (99 yrs old!), but none of those compromise comfort.
thanks, jennifer, for sharing your lovely home! =)