Come for the garden alone. The room and bathroom are exactly as seen in the photos, which means the room is small. But who cares because the place to be is that FABULOUS garden. Wake up to birdsong and eat your breakfast at one of the two shaded glass tables while you watch monarchs flit about. Lie down on the comfortably cushioned garden couch as you feel your eyes grow heavy in the midday sun while watching hummingbirds suck nectat from fragrant plant to fragrant plant. Sit on the tiny shady porch of your room and do your work on your laptop in the early evening as the lights playing off the plants relaxes you. If a little outdoor retreat is what you’re looking for after a day of touristy sightseeing, THIS is the spot.
I read Karen’s little book that she left on the bed from top to bottom and it told me just about everything I needed to know about how the room functions, how the house functions, what she expects of guests, plus tips for the neighborhood. If I read something in the book and did not quite understand it I could text Karen and the response was nearly instantaneous. I stayed for 3 nights and only on Saturday night did I have to drive around the block to find a place to park, and even then, Karen just let me park in her driveway.
The bed mattress was very soft and comfortable, the sheets were high thread count, and the completely remodeled greco roman style bathroom was roomy enough. I actually live in Long Beach and wasn’t aware of how aspirational and charming this little neighborhood of south Wrigley was.
For the price I feel my stay at Karen’s was a terrific value.