My dad, brother, our golden retriever and I stayed at Jessica's for Thanksgiving 2015.

I live in town, also in East Austin, and would definitely recommend this area for an authentic local experience of the city--this where real residents of our town live, and probably have been for a long time.

I suspect Jessica's house was first built in the early 1900's but has certainly been renovated for today, so it was quite charming, comfortable and a good example of traditional American architecture: hardwood floors, high ceilings, well proportioned, nice big windows, practical floor plan. Modern amenities are equipped: good heating, water pressure, clothes washer/dryer (don't you love getting to do your laundry when you travel?), fast internet.

Jessica's house is on a nice flat lot with a spacious completely-fenced-in backyard, which I'm sure Ana, our dog, appreciated to sniff around in safety.

I cooked a portion of the Thanksgiving dinner (other parts catered from Whole Foods...visitors to Austin should definitely check out the Lamar HQ location!), and Jessica's kitchen handled the task well. I brought my own equipment, but Jessica had the essentials if you would like to try to whip something up. Otherwise, make sure to check our Mr. Natural, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant 2 blocks away.

We liked the room situation at Jessica's. 3 separate bedrooms allowed us to space out. Sharing the single bathroom required some time management, so keep that in mind if you're trying to get somewhere on time. We lounged together in the living room and my brother and I got a board game in at the kitchen table.

Jessica was responsive to my requests via messaging and respected our privacy. A very welcoming host!