The Tarlows were terrific hosts, and the guest house was exactly what my daughter and I needed for this trip. My daughter's little dog, Tom, loved the courtyard, and so did I -- especially the hammock. There was a grocery store just a few blocks away and our walk to Venice Beach for dinner was just over a mile. The cottage is tucked away safely behind a locked gate, and I never felt unsafe on my walking adventures to find shops, restaurant or coffee. The skylights provide great lighting in the cottage, but since ours was a summer visit, it got little warm in the afternoons if we happened to be home at that time. If I got too hot, I just headed to the hammock or the beach.