As someone who has lived in several homes in Hillcrest and Mission Hills over the years, I always find myself gravitating towards this area of San Diego. The location of this house is hard to beat as it offers so much in terms of places to eat, things to do, and places to see in such a small radius. What makes it even better is that it’s dog-friendly with a fully fenced-in yard. With that being said, I can’t say that I’m dying to stay here again.
The house itself is fine. Again, as someone who has lived in the area, I understand the age of these homes and am used to the size and quirks that come with them. But I was taken aback by the lack of basic amenities that I’d expect from a standard AirBnb. First off, there’s no Brita or water filter in the fridge, so you’re kind of forced to purchase bottled water, which in this day and age, seems pretty backwards. Second, there’s no working furnace, or at least there wasn’t during my stay. I know San Diego has some of the best weather in the world year round, but even the nights here can get chilly at this time of year. The house is old so the insulation is almost nonexistent and there are cracks around the front door that allow cold air to seep in. The temperature outside and inside were pretty much the same at night, which would be fine if I was camping, but I wasn’t exactly paying camping prices. I reached out about this concern the first night, and after some back and forth, I was told someone would come the following day to check it out. The next day, radio silence. I had to run to Target to buy a space heater after that first night because it was that uncomfortable. Then the following day, again no word. All I got was an automated message outlining check out instructions for the next day, so I asked again if anyone was coming for the heater. They let me know they’d send someone and would keep me posted about what time. But yet again, another day and night went by without an update. At 8:30 am on the morning of check out day, I received a message someone would be coming that day, but check out was at 10:00 am… So after four days and three nights, there was no working heat and nobody came to check on an issue that was communicated the first night. I was provided an apology and a reasoning that they’re understaffed, but if anyone (handyman or not) had come to even take a look at it for a minute, I wouldn’t have left with such a sour taste.
Other things to keep in mind: the house is directly behind another house that shares the lot so it’s essentially a granny flat, electricity use is limited, the water pressure in the shower is STRONG (which may be great for some and painful to others), there is no dedicated parking but you’re provided a permit for street parking from M-F, and if you’re sensitive to noise, just keep in mind that there’s a hospital right across the street, so you will hear ambulance sirens and helicopters also land there, even in the middle of the night.