Location, location, location! This place was wonderful! It had everything we were looking for in a stay. As stated previously, the location was great. Only about three-ish blocks away from the Tufts Medical Center Orange line stop, so getting home each night was super easy (and very safe, even late at night). And the Boston Common park is also very easy to get to.
The house itself is very old and you can feel that when you walk in. Everything Paul states in the description is true. Stairs are steep and narrow, and you can see the exposed floor joists when you look up at night. It really gives this place character. I loved staring up at the ceiling at night and imagining the history behind this place.
Now, this isn't for the bougie tourist. It's an old house, and you know that going in, so don't expect to be in the Ritz-Carlton. Door knobs are old, some doors don't quite close correctly, and the floors creak like they are almost original. AND THAT'S THE COOL PART! I loved every minute of it!
As for the functionality of the house, everything worked as it was supposed to. There is a gas stove for cooking and we had all the pots and pans we needed. The AC only had to be run a few days and it was able to keep up just fine (we never used the heat, but it uses radiators).
The downstairs room was perfect for our oldest teenager. He was able to choose which bed to sleep in and loved the privacy (you can't hear anything from the main floor, if you are in the basement). And, since there wasn't a door, we just announced ourselves when we came down. Our youngest slept in the back bedroom on the second floor and we slept in the front. The beds were fine and we had no issues sleeping. It's also a very quiet neighborhood, so most people are in by the time it gets dark.
For food, that was a little tough for us (eating out in Boston is crazy expensive). Yes, Whole Foods is nearby, but they don't carry the kind of food that we typically buy. I'm not an 'organic, free range' buyer. I shop at Publix and Target. So Whole Foods was a bit of sticker shock when we got the bill for the same things we buy at those other stores. We ended up taking the Red line to the JFK/UMass stop and went to Star Market. That was closer to our kind of grocery store. Also, make sure you take your own bags, which Paul provides plenty of in the kitchen cabinet! Massachusetts charges you for each bag you use, if you don't take your own.
Mike and Patty's is an excellent breakfast place on the next block. I recommend the grilled crack. You won't be disappointed!
Overall, we are totally satisfied with Paul's house and would definitely stay again if we ever came back to Boston.
Thanks again, Paul! This was an excellent stay!