We arrived at this property on Saturday October 8, 2022. It was very difficult to find the coach house. We received the email from our host stating that we should enter from the alley behind the house, which was easy enough, but there was no marking or address back there. Had my cousin who lives in Chicago been there to help, I never would have found it. I think that for out of town guests, especially, there should be more clear directions that not only do you have to enter through the alley, but that you also have to walk between the small space between the coach house and the fence that belongs to the neighbor to get to the door. This was very confusing for someone not familiar with the area.

When we booked this property, the listing stated that it came with one parking spot, but that additional permits were available upon request. Our group had 10 people and 3 cars, so I did ask at the time of booking for the extra permits. I was told that it would not be a problem unless the Cubs were playing. Upon arrival, there were no places to park within a mile of the house and two of our guests had to park over a mile away and walk back. Again, to someone used to the city, this may be normal, but for a visitor expecting to have ample space to park, it was very disappointing.

Once we got inside, we noticed many differences between the photos that are on the listing and what we saw. There was also a broken spindle on the back porch which could be a safety issue if you have small children. The house was clean enough, but very worn. The dining table and couch shown in the photos on the Airbnb site are not the ones that were there when we arrived. One recliner on the couch was not working. There were several light bulbs out and a lot of dust on the fixtures. The bathroom upstairs had mold on the ceiling. On the main level, the walls were dirty and the floors cracked in the kitchen and scraped up around the bases. There was someone else’s shampoo bottles and a wide toothed comb in the bathroom in the lower level. There is no bathroom on the main floor. There were several blinds that were broken on the windows and a visible crack in the window in the dining area. The picture of the dining area window shows a beautiful window letting light in, but there is now a cinder block wall covering most of that window. We were in town to see things, so we did not have to be there for much more than sleeping, but this was disappointing all the same. I did reach out to the host with photos of the damage I saw as soon as we arrived and was told to please excuse the eyesores and that the construction next door was rough on their exterior and that they had blinds ordered but could not install before we arrived. A little TLC would go a long way in this property.

All that being said, the location is great. There are a lot of places within walking distance for coffee and meals. The host was always quick with communication, getting back to me throughout the booking process and arrival quickly.