A five star experience! This home is wonderful value for the money and GREAT for families with kids. Lots of child-friendly activities/toys/accessories—an upright piano, electric scooter, swings, board games, a robust library to meet the needs of every reading level—to name a few. The host, Pete, must be quite the movie buff as the family’s collection of classic and new DVD’s is quite impressive (and, of course, available to guests). I especially loved that the kitchen was so well stocked with plates, utensils, cooking supplies, etc. The beds were mostly comfy, providing a good night’s sleep.
Location is quite convenient, as the house is located near supermarkets and major highways. Without traffic, we easily accessed most neighborhoods of LA in 20 minutes flat. Getting to the Getty Museum was a cinch; even driving to the Getty Villa in Malibu was an unexpectedly beautiful and scenic route. In non-COVID times, we would have taken advantage of the location to go to the Zoo and Universal Studios.
Communicating with the host was quick, reliable and easy. I appreciated his willingness to respond to our requests and offer solutions the few times we needed assistance.
We rarely saw the resident in the back house but when we did run into her, she was a delight and super friendly.
A couple of tips if you plan on staying in their wonderful home:
1) be sure take a walk around the neighborhood to get to know the area; it’s totally safe and walkable to stores (fro-yo, supermarkets, etc). Ride the electric scooter or the skate board!
2) bring insect repellent if you are planning on spending lots of time out back. there are some generic bugs—to be expected from the lush landscaping.
3) try popular Porto’s Bakery in Burbank (10 minute drive) for breakfast/lunch/dinner. Valley Village also offers some amazing taco options (mostly open for dinner).