Paola's house is in a nice "Scandinavian style" neighborhood named Ballard (apparently a Scandinavian name). It's a calm area, easy to reach by bus, roughly situated between the zoo (which is on the top of the hill) and the sea (sunset hill, Rays restaurant,...).
We didn't see anyone of the family, but still we had a good (digital) communication ahead of and during our stay... and we could hear their noises in the morning. But everything is well organized, so you'll find enough earplugs provided for the whole stay. =)