Location, location, location! Penny's airy studio makes a perfect home base for adventures in the Uptown / Irish Channel area. Great food (fine dining to the finest poboys in NOLA), shops (souvenirs to fashion and antiques), and nightlife are all within walking distance, but far enough that you don't feel overwhelmed by revelers at all hours. There's even a grocery store, pharmacy, and boiled seafood counter just down the block on Magazine. You'll live like a local, avoid hotels stuffed with tourists, and get a more than reasonable rate for the space.

We stayed with Penny for 4 spring nights during the 2nd weekend of Jazz Fest 2013. She was a kind and gracious host who gave us just enough contact to get the info we needed, but was never intrusive. We hardly saw her, which was what we prefer. She set us up with fresh fruit, yogurt, iced teas, juice, coffee (with a full 10 cup pot!), even a few good brewskies. We felt very much at home and we definitely plan to stay here again.

The corner kitchenette is just perfect for having snacks & drinks at the ready. The mini-fridge even has a large freezer, big enough to store a bottle of spirits and several ice packs for your cooler (great for the 11 hour drive back home).

Having a combination lock on the door is wonderful! No worries about coordinating key exchange, losing keys, or fumbling in the purse on the street at 3am.

Geek tip: check the desk drawer for the wi-fi password.

Yes, the toilet is as pictured, right there in the corner of the bedroom. We handled the need for privacy after nights of excess by sending the other partner outside for sipping coffee in the sunny courtyard and leaving that courtyard door open for ventilation. If you want a bit more separation, you can move one of the wooden screens over to surround the throne. Don't worry - you're not going to be spending much time in the room -- there are too many wonderful NOLA experiences waiting outside!

One more caution: street & sidewalk traffic noise can be intense at times like weekday morning rush hour, so we recommend wearing earplugs and using a white noise app/device if you have trouble sleeping. Make sure that the noise/light blocking drapes are fully closed & overlapping, and inspect the exterior window shutters to note if any need securing before bedtime (as high winds can loosen some of them). The bed, pillows, & linens are very comfortable and we had no problem at all getting enough rest to head out for another day of exploring.

Thanks for a wonderful 19th anniversary weekend, Penny! Hope to see you again next year.