Studio in the Woods is a wonderful place with full bathroom and kitchen, most importantly with full privacy. It is underneath the garage of the house, so it's very cool in the summer; you don't even need a fan! I stayed there for 6 months from March to Aug. with occasional family visitors. The neighborhood has many deer, and the deer visit the studio, too. Gigi and David are great hosts who accomodate your needs ASAP. I couldn't ask for more. The studio is located in a residential area on top of a hill so you cannot walk to the shops, but downdown is only 10 minutes away by car. Redwood City is a great place to stay if you need to be near Palo Alto; I was a visiting scholar at Stanford, and the drive is only 10 miles. Redwood City is much cooler and wooded than Santa Clara or San Jose. I would definitely stay at the studio again whenever I'm in the Bay area again, but I doubt the place will be available, due to high demand and popularity.