Studio 1511 is a studio apartment behind the home of Andrew and Gabriela. They are friendly and welcoming, and always helpful. They answer questions sent on the Airbnb app quickly, and are ready to provide additional service and information. For example, I needed a towel to use a local swimming pool. I asked them if I could use one of the bath towels, or if they could provide me with another towel more appropriate to take to a swimming pool. They brought over a beach towel for me to use. By the way, I recommend the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, a 10-15 min drive away in Pasadena. It offers daily passes for lap swimming in their two olympic size pools. (Lanes are almost always available for lap swimming.)
The space, while not super large, is quite comfortable and efficiently organized. The bed especially is very comfortable, with a nice, firm mattress and quality pillows! There is a small fold-down desk which I used for my macbook. Also, there is ample drawer space to stow personal effects. The neighborhood is quiet and pleasant, with lots of specialty stores and restaurants in a 20 min walking range, or a few minutes drive away. There is map above the desk in the studio which lists points of interest. I personally recommend the Norton Simon museum and the Bristal Farms high end grocery store. There is also a Trader Joe’s nearby which I used a few times.
Finally, others have commented on the fact that a bottle of wine is given to all the renters as a welcome gift. As a wine aficionado, I was suspicious when I read those remarks. I was very pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed the bottle of white wine I found waiting for me in the fridge. With both honey and fruit notes, it was a pleasure to drink by itself, but paired well with several different things. I had it over a period of several days, a couple of times in front of the studio on the little red table, and it held up well after opening. On one of those occasions, Andrew was passing by while I was drinking it, and we had a nice conversation about this and other California wines!