Ellen hosted me at her place for a little more than 3 months and sharing housing with her was very pleasant thanks to Ellen's very welcoming attitude, her sociability and constant kindness, and the fact that she was always very polite, respectful and easy-going. In terms of location and services nearby, the Takoma area is a pleasant place to stay and the bus stops very close from the house are convenient to get to Takoma metro station. However these buses are more difficult to catch outside of the week days rush hours; when no bus is available, walking to/from the metro station is not too long (about 15 min.). Finally, for people planning a long stay, a very slight inconvenient I would mention is that Ellen's washing machine and dryer are located in the part of the house (in the basement) which houses two other people. Anyway, this was not a big deal and overall my experience at Ellen's place was a very good one!