If you have checked out Kevin's listing & thought for even a moment about staying at his & his partner's upstairs flat (second level of a duplex) in the French Place/Cherrywood neighborhood of East Austin, take my advice & go for it right this minute.

I have lived in Austin for more than a decade (& lived in some fantastic spots in Travis Heights, Rosedale, Crestview/Brentwood, & Hyde Park along the way), but needed a place for a few days while in between a move & some extended travel. Kevin worked with me on short notice & was responsive, intuitive, & helpful the whole time, while also granting every ounce of privacy I needed (which is no problem with two private entrances, anyway).

Like anyone reading this, I also find great joy in traveling as often as humanly possible. As soon as you set foot inside this inspired achievement of a living space, your initial reaction might be akin to mine – dropping your bags & your jaw & saying to no one in particular that "this is outrageously awesome" – or you might just quietly admire the lovely, eclectic, & warm apartment. Five hours later, you might actually remember you're on a trip & have stuff to do. Fair warning: The place will put you in a trance. The great books, generous bar, strong wi-fi, DirecTV, & Goldilocks-level-of-perfection bed don't hurt, either.

When you're finally ready to hit the streets, you'll be pleased to find that you're close to everything worth doing & seeing. You'll find yourself in what is arguably the new cultural center of Austin, within walking distance of Eastside nightlife & high-caliber but dirt-cheap dining, UT campus & all of its surrounding charms, convenient bus routes, museums, libraries, & more. On top of it, you're a two-minute drive to I-35, but barely even notice it's so nearby.

Between you & me, Kevin could charge a lot more for this hidden gem. I cannot recommend it highly enough. One thing that struck me as I was researching short-term places in Austin – & I went at it with a level of seriousness usually reserved for buying a new car, because I love this city & wanted to stay somewhere that best represented it before leaving for a while – is that people who had stayed here kept reporting in reviews that the "pictures don't do it justice." Well, truer words have rarely been spoken.

Hope you enjoy your stay as much as I did!