Irene’s home occupies the top floor (3rd floor - 2 flights of stairs- no elevator) of her building, which is in a very green leafy quiet neighbourhood. It was very peaceful.. and has a lovely deck that you can sit out on, surrounded by the foliage of the trees around. The eat-in kitchen is bright & airy, and the living room is small & cozy - although I didn’t use it.
She does have a cat, whose litter box is in the shared bathroom, but he was extremely shy, non obtrusive, remained out of sight most times & wasn’t a problem at all - even for me, who doesn’t like cats ( hv a fear of them)
The location was perfect! A 5 min walk to my daughters dorm at the Radcliffe quadrangle. Other amenities are a stones throw away too - Starbucks a 2 min walk at the corner of the block; a mini superette for groceries and freshly made sandwiches around the corner… plenty of other stores & restaurants on Mass Ave, well within walking distance.
7 min walk from Harvard Square with all its shops restaurants and the subway… but really that entire area of Cambridge around Harvard is very walkable
In the other direction, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, TJMaxx & HomeGoods are just a short drive away (5-7 mins).. so also the beautiful Fresh Pond, which is lovely to go for a walk around
Even though Irene is willing to provide a parking pass, there is no designated parking spot and street parking can be pretty hard to find. I didn’t rent a car this time, so it wasn’t an issue for me
Irene was a very helpful & thoughtful host and wonderful company! I look forward to staying in her cute home in the future :)