“Hey, we’re out of town this week, you should stay at our place.” That’s what it feels like to be in this house on a surprisingly quiet street in the Sunnyside neighborhood. This is Art and Bettina’s main residence, so you have many things you won’t find in an Airbnb. Two people and a dog stayed there for a week and found the advantages wonderful: yes, those cookies were for us; yes, use a bit of the kitchen supplies (there’s not a spice rack, it’s a whole cupboard plus every type of pan and spatula you would need). There’s plenty of excellent deck furniture, great towels, a fabulous kitchen and shower. There’s a Balmuda toaster (just look it up and bring bread), a heated toilet seat, and an excellent couch to watch TV. Or just hang on the porch, maybe meet the nice neighbors.
Yes, the place is very clean, but you’re living in someone’s house which may not be everyone’s jam: there’s a little room in the closet for you, a couple of empty drawers, a shelf in the fridge. You may feel like you’re intruding. The pictures onsite are a bit old: the place is comfy, well-built, but there’s a lot of stuff there: a few items are covered with blankets that are off limits, then there’s many indoor plants, various collections, so many pillows. It’s tasteful and intriguing but the only place I found to write on my laptop was the dining table, unless I wanted to use my lap. Comfortable for a small family to be sure, I wouldn’t do more than that. But dogs are welcome (the big bowl of water awaiting our car-traveling pooch was found and consumed at once). Alas Art and Bettina couldn’t be perfect hosts, the weather was rainy most of the time, so we could hardly use the fabulous deck. 😉 There is a separate rental downstairs, but you don’t interact with them. Plus, you’re out a lot: Laurelhurst Park is less than a 5-minute walk, H Mart and shops on Belmont the same distance. Our dog already misses the walks. If I’m in the area, I’ll contact Art and Bettina again to see if the place is available.