Michael and Nicole’s place was perfect for a two month stay. It’s one of the best Airbnbs that we stayed at. The garden apartment is nicely decorated and it was very clean. Even though it’s a de facto basement/garden apt, the big living room windows let in plenty of light. It’s in one of the best neighborhoods SF. Book it NOW before somebody else does. If you want to fall in live with San Francisco this is the place to stay.
CHECK IN: Michael met us to show the apartment.
LOCATION: Ashbury-Haight very close to Buena Vista Park. Clean and quiet neighborhood close to Golden Gate Park, Castro, N Judah tram line. The house is on top of a steep hill so be prepared.
AMENITIES: the house has everything for a longer stay. A fully stocked kitchen (we cooked most of our meals), coffee maker, nescafe espresso maker, tea kettle, toaster, microwave, ice cube trays. Good shower pressure and temp. Shampoo and conditioner, shower gel, hand soap, cleaning supplies. Nice outdoor deck with a bistro set and Adirondack chairs.
PARKING: NO Permit needed (great plus) and we were always able to find a spot on the same block or around the corner or around the block. Make sure you turn your wheels into the curb, seen some cars with tickets due to that. Also keep in mind city’s 72 hour parking ordinance, where you cant leave your car in one spot for more than 72 hours. Its rarely enforced, however there is one over-zealous/nutty neighbor/retiree in a green house down the block on the corner who has nothing better to do, but report “suspicious” abandoned vehicles. Avoid that block or you’ll get a friendly parking enforcement notice on your windshield and your wheels marked with chalk, even after just one day. Its not hard to figure out who’s making those reports, since all reports are available/searchable on the city’s website. Also watch out for no parking next to red curbs.
KITCHEN SUPPLIES: nespresso capsules, coffee filters, salt and pepper,
WELCOME GIFT: bowl of lemons and oranges, fine chocolates, bottle of wine, and the most beautiful orchids we’ve seen.
WIFI: very good, allowed two people to work remotely without any issues, no issues with speed with our XBox either.
SLEEP: comfortable mattress, no street noise, occasional police siren (normal in the city). Yes, the bedroom does have a window.
AC/HEAT: you dont need AC in SF, its always cool enough, the fog and wind will chill the air. Heat in the living room worked great on those chilly Fogaust nights. September is actually the best time to visit, all the euro tourists are gone, it’s warmer and lot less fog.
HOST: very responsive and friendly
CONS: no washer, there are a few laundromats in the area or a pricy pick up service.
Occasional noise from footsteps or chairs moved upstairs, it’s a hundred year old house.
Nutty neighbor down the block playing meter maid.
Couch could be more comfortable.
LOCAL RECOMMENDATIONS: Buena Vista Park, Corona Heights both great views of the city. Great walk: up to Mount Olympus (great sunset views), down Monument Way Stairs (they started redoing them in early Sept) , up to Tank Hill Park (great skyline views with no tourists), down Crown Terr and Pemberton Place Steps, down Clayton to Kite Hill, down Clover Lane steps (sadly unkept) find your way to Ord St, cross Market, up Saturn Steps, down Vulcan stairway, take Ord Ct and stairs to States St and upto States st playground and Randal Museum, easy walk back home.
Also recommend: Filbert Steps, Greenwich Steps both by Coit Tower and the storied Macondray Ln in Russian Hill, and who can forget Lyon St steps. Also take out a subscription to the SF Chronicle, only 99 cents for the first six months to get all the local news, events, happenings and restaurant recommendations. Download the Muni app and/or Clipper app to use all the public transport.
SUMMARY: Awesome stay. Would highly recommend and would stay there again when in SF. I will miss this place, our home in San Francisco.