We had a wonderful stay at Jessica's Willow Street house. From an unassuming outside in a shaded yard, we walked into the most beautiful, sparkling clean house we could imagine, and then things just kept getting better!
The location is amazing -- really close to the convention Center, 6th Street and all the downtown happenings in Austin. But you don't even need to go a few blocks to find cute restaurants, great coffee, and everything to sustain you. And the quiet end of the Austin hike-and-bike trail along Ladybird Lake is also just a few blocks away, if you are interested in a walk or run (or in grabbing a rental bike right at the trailhead). That had been our initial plan , but when we walked down to the lake, we also found a free pool (Martin Neighborhood Pool), which ended up more appealing in the heat.
Jessica is the most gracious host, she was super helpful with tips and directions, and made us feel at home right away. We had fun playing the piano, and it turns out she is an accomplished fiddler herself, and we managed to talk her into a quick demo. Fun, fun!
That said, what impressed me the most was how well-maintained this old house was. Modern spaces are so much easier to keep clean and uncluttered, so I always worry a bit when renting an older home. But here, everything inside looked as if the place was brand new, except built in an older style. Kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, you could practically eat from the floor.
Highly recommend it!