This is a fantastic place for exploring mostly the west side of LA! I was staying here for three months and felt at home in the garden cottage of Julieann and David from the first minute. That place has lots of soulful patina; be prepared that the place is certainly not brand new and that the closets and drawers have seen better days. But the place has a great Southern California atmosphere with pictures of palm trees all over the place and the sunlight entering the place in the morning magically through the wooden shutters. It was great to have breakfast there every day! Outside, you have a personal courtyard with benches and a garden table and chairs where you can have lunch and coffee amidst the many beautiful flowers and plants in a well-kept garden. You are very close to the owners' personal living space but they have a total respect for your privacy.
The kitchen has all you need to prepare your own meals, if you wish. (And I have added a coffee brewing cone to the kitchen amenities in case you - like me - do not like to use the Keurig coffee machine). If you are staying for a longer term, I would recommend making arrangements in advance about when and how often the place will be cleaned.
What has also made me very happy is that me and my wife were free to use the bikes of Julieann and David. Culver City is just a 10 to 15 minutes bikeride away (you can take a route with very little traffic through the Beverlywood neighborhood), where you will be able to find plenty of restaurants and a great atmosphere. I also used their bike to go to the UCLA campus for work; Westwood is just about 6 miles away. Supermarkets like Ralphs on Pico Blvd or the Smart & Final Extra even closer by are just a 5 minute bikeride (but you can also just walk there, as I often did).
If you want to use public transport, you can take the bus on Robertson or Pico Blvd. In order to go downtown, I recommend using the excellent Metro line. I often went by car or bike to the Metro station in Culver City (you can for example park your car on the large parking lot next to Mod Pizza and then walk to the Metro station), where you can take the Expo line, either to Downtown or to Santa Monica (on walking distance from Santa Monica Pier and the beaches). You can also take the bike on the bus or on metro lines without having to pay an extra fee.
Very highly recommended if you are looking for a place with a great location and lots of soul!