What an absolutely beautiful oasis in the midst of Los Angeles! I stayed here for five
weeks with my boyfriend, my dog, and another couple. This house is really incredible, and you can feel every ounce of love the owners have put into it. Just as amazing (perhaps even moreso) than the house itself are the front and back yards - the deck out back provided us with many days and nights of relaxation and comfort, and the front yard with its fire pit was a wonderful place to gather with friends and keep everything pandemic-safe.
Robert, the house's caretaker, lives next door, and was incredibly responsive to whatever we needed. The house is older, and whenever there was a small repair that needed attention, he was right on the job. He's a fantastic superintendent and very kind to boot.
Layout info - The downstairs is effectively one large open-plan space - you walk into a beautiful open living room/dining room combo, with a sweet little TV/reading room off to your right. The kitchen is a real perk of this place - it's very unique, being L-shaped, but the fixtures can't be beat, especially the classic Kenmore stove, the collection of great cast iron to cook with, and the ENORMOUS fridge and freezer! We were very content making meals here. There is a downstairs toilet that's separated by a curtain from the fridge/freezer area. Upstairs there are two bedrooms - one master with an enormous walk-in closet at the front of the house, and a smaller queen bedroom at the back that attaches to the laundry room which overlooks the backyard. The bathroom is gorgeous - bright and airy with tons of shelf space, an enormous tub, and a truly decadent rainfall shower.
As this is an older house, there are certainly quirks! As a frequent Airbnb-er and Superhost myself, I always search reviews for these sorts of details, so here are some I feel are important:
- The beds are VERY firm - my partner and I ended up purchasing a foam mattress topper for the master bed for our five-week stay here, which helped a lot.
- The couches are older/vintage pieces, and they feel that way - you definitely sink in to the living room furniture.
- The floors are older and often uneven, particularly upstairs in the master bedroom where there is a noticeable slope toward the front wall of the house, which means that you should exercise caution when exiting on that side of the bed in the middle of the night :)
- The street the house is located on is on a steep hill, so vigilance must be used when parking, particularly if you have two cars in the carport at the back - the angle at which you pull into the carport is very important!
- There is a storage unit next to the carport, and the owners have friends who store things inside, so you may occasionally see strangers coming in and out of the back area. Robert will always try to give you a head's up when he knows someone is coming, but we didn't know in advance that this would happen, and we think it's important to note, especially if you have a dog who is not stranger-friendly!
All of these details are natural for a home that is loved and lived-in like this one is. We had such a wonderful time here were very sad to leave this place. I couldn't imagine a better hub for our long stay in LA.