When I get to heaven, my place will look a lot like this. But I’m glad I didn’t wait to enjoy it! Very clean and comfortable but so much more. You get the friendly dog greeters (Hi Ella! Hi Ozzie! already miss you…) and hosts who are always friendly, available, courteous, helpful, accommodating, and something you rarely get—interesting and accomplished. They’re longtime Chicagoans with a deep understanding of its history, development, and politics. Their hands-on transformation of their own living space into what you’ll find reflects their deeper sense of what it means to be a participant in making the world a better place. Seriously. For those of you more interested in location (convenience to transportation, lots of delightful shops and restaurants, close to the lake, Promontory Point, and museums), this place has it. If you’re excited about the freshly baked bread, you should be (clearly Jamie is thinking about a second career as a baker)—and I say this as someone for whom bread was easy to give up. (Since bread is rarely this good, I think I’m still safe. Wait. Unless he ships...) And then there’s Patricia’s yummy homemade granola and spectacular photographs on the walls. If you’re looking for hosts that can point you to unexpected delights (the Architectural River Cruise wasn’t on my list, but it was one of our favorite experiences) and steer you away from dodgy areas (use the bus or the Metra, not the L, to get to them), you’ve found them. Sleep in delicious quiet, look out the windows to trees, hear the birds, enjoy the best coffee (sorry, baristas elsewhere) on a plant-filled balcony, and then walk a few blocks to the lake or the bus and be downtown in minutes. The shelves are lined with books worth reading. Yep. We liked it. We’ll be back. Tip: Get a CTA pass and check out the Go Chicago pass.