This air bnb is a great place for routine oriented, 9-5 business travelers who have to leave the premises daily for work/leisure during the day. I think this spot would be perfect for people to come in at night, to sleep at, shower, cook a meal or two, the basic things, but who mainly would be in & out and about. Susan is very helpful and resourceful. She was also super sweet to take me out with her friends and she even gifted me a set of dish ware she had lying around for my new home! She also offered me her bike :) she was very welcoming and tried to make me feel at home to the best of her ability initially.
However, this was not the right match for me personally. Communication about your needs, and any questions you may have must be clarified thoroughly with her before booking. I also would suggest trying to speak with her directly as opposed to texting as a lot of miscommunication & misunderstanding can occur this way.
I landed here as I am moving to LA, not just for a holiday, hence I was treating it as home. I also work from home as a vocal coach, and it was just not conducive to my situation. The other guest’s room is adjacent to the one I stayed at and no matter how much ppl say “all’s well”, one still feels it’s rude/awkward to be singing loud and practicing for gigs at odd hours of the day and evening. I was told there would be another guest but it wasn’t elaborated upon as to how close our rooms would be and that the backyard was attached to his bedroom. It felt crowded and I’m someone who appreciates her space. Again, he and I were both mostly home for work, so this can be tricky… I wish Susan, knowing I’m a musician and vocal coach teaching from home would have declined my request, understanding that this might not be a good match for their situation.
The WiFi and network here are very very poor. Even after the router and WiFi company were switched, I still faced a lot of glitching, which made it very embarrassing for me as a vocal professional teaching lessons to 30 odd students across the globe in different time zones. Rescheduling was a nightmare.
She also mentioned the jacuzzi in the back, which I used happily for a bit, however it was shut down due to algae after the first 2-3 weeks of my 56 day stay and I was told that I would be made aware when it’s safe to use, only for me to find out a few days before leaving that it was operational for a whole week! I am an athlete and it would’ve really helped with my soreness. The jacuzzi… be warned is in the backyard attached to the other much larger/nicer room occupied by another guest who is basically a roommate there at this point as he has extended his stay for over a year. I felt like I walked into a roommate situation where I absolutely wasn’t the right match for them and was the anomaly. They both have a routine down and the use of the common areas can be pretty uncomfortable as the two of them use it often as part of their routine lives. I thought air bnbs had rotating guests so it still felt like a guest house/hotel where things wouldn’t feel too personal. Of course one’s allowed use of space through the whole house but how many ppl would feel comfortable just wanting to use the tv when it’s already in use by the host herself or the other guest, one doesn’t want to be rude or feel awkward. For the price I didn’t feel like I could use the whole house and felt best sticking to my room. The room faces her neighbor’s front door entrance, which means you would have to have your curtains drawn all the time and use lights during the day. This put me in a bit of a depression as I need natural lighting. The pictures I saw definitely have a different impression. The bed was large and comfy, so I slept quite a bit!
Really unclear and almost negligent communication from the start. I took at least 3 weeks to reluctantly finally book here. I had expressed a bunch of very particular needs without which I would never have booked, to all I got a resounding “of course”! But when I got there I was met with noticeable frustration from both the owner and the guest regarding my lifestyle. She even said I could smoke weed out the window in my room and when I did I was met with passive aggression. I think sometimes the host says yes to things over enthusiastically and says certain things to possibly secure the booking, or maybe she was not too aware of the nuances in the communicated requests.
One day the flame on the stove was left on for hours with her two cats and I at home. When I mentioned this, all I got from both the host & the other guest, was a thank you for turning it off. I would’ve expected some serious care or concern as a response…lives could have very well been endangered.
In a nutshell - if you’re a musician, free spirit, creative, adventurer, go with the flow - home body type of person, someone who needs good WiFi & network… this is not the place for you.
Parking - enough spots all over, however you have to move your car for street cleaning so you don’t get ticketed. She does have space for two cars outside her garage but one spot had to be kept clear as she kept going in and out with her car and the other spot was almost always occupied by the other guest. I’m sure you could park next to