Cathryn is no amateur host; she had obviously considered our every need in advance. From shower robes to tourist copy to spare towels and blankets, you quickly learn to glance around before making requests. The odd time we had questions or had trouble planning our day, she was right there. The rest of the time she rocked the vanishing act, simply announcing her availability with a "good morning" over our morning bustling.

Also fighting for first place in accommodatory excellence: the house. With a door dividing the host's and guest's bed/bathroom areas, the space is basically made for BnBing. The upper common floor is a little taste of heaven, with great plants, style, and a holy-$#|+-we-really-lucked-out-this-time view.

Being no strangers to public transit, we easily made do with the nearby bus options (just steps away). It was convenient that one bus travelled up downtown's West end, and the other up downtown's East. Everything else we wanted to see was just one transfer away. For extra ease we picked up 7-day transit passes, letting us jump on and off any bus/streetcar/trollie we saw without worrying about correct change or transfers. The subway isn't included with the pass, but we only rode it for the final trip to the airport.

Potrero Hill offers a formidable walking challenge, as does downtown's Coit Tower area, but experiencing the steep inclines and witnessing a world built on an angle was the main draw and memory of San Francisco for us. If you don't mind getting a little physical, you'll enjoy a few laughs defeating these stairs-without-steps called sidewalks.

Some final Potrero Hill tips: we strongly recommend Potrero Hill's holy trinity of restaurants (Chez Maman, Chez Papa, and Papito), keep in mind the North/Southbound buses take different one-way roads near Cathryn's place, a taxi ride downtown costs $10-15 with tip, and don't forget to take in Potrero Hill's amazing view of downtown at night!