The cottage is cute, just as pictured, with the slightly funky charm of an older home (with new kitchen and new floors). The bedroom is set off from the main room by a small office and a couple of stairs, creating a good degree of privacy if you are using both the bedroom and the futon in the living room as we did for a portion of our stay. The gas heater in the main space is powerful, but the heat doesn't really reach the bedroom so we were glad to be a couple sharing the bed to keep each other warm under the generous supply of blankets. We slept well. There was no noise from neighbors and the neighborhood in general seemed quiet. The cottage is situated in an up-and-coming neighborhood of Oakland, just a block or so from Lake Merritt. We enjoyed the restaurants, gelato cafes, and the Grand Lake movie theater, all within walking distance on Grand Avenue (we highly recommend Penrose and a restaurant/bar called Boot and Shoe Service). Jane's instructions via text were clear and easy to follow, so we didn't need to meet up in person. We liked having Trader Joe's close by. We had a compact rental car that we were able to park in the driveway. We were glad we rented the car as it was useful both for getting to other Oakland neighborhoods like Piedmont and Claremont that are just a little farther away as well as for exploring the larger Bay Area.