Melanie's room is beautiful and centrally located. It's tucked away just enough that you're still in a neighborhood and a walkable distance to downtown. The room is very inviting and I loved the remodeled bathroom. She had stones on the shower floor which were perfect for massaging my feet after long days of walking. Nice touch. There's also a coffee shop and a late night restaurant/bar very close that I utilized often.
I was traveling to tour Portland and felt like this location was exceptional for that. By the last day, I was tired of walking and utilized the Nike BikeTown bikes. The house is located close to a BikeTown's hotspot. Once you're done with your bike, you don't even have to return it to a hub.
You can also utilize the TriMet bus system from your phone. Not only does it map out the public transit systems, but you can also buy tickets on the app in case you don't have exact change for a ride in cash.
I visited in the fall and the noise from the street never bothered me. The view from the windows of my room were great. I got to enjoy the fall colors from the trees and people walking about in the mornings.
Melanie was out of town while I visited and I met her boyfriend Nick on the first day. I only wish I got a heads up that she was out of town and who I would be communicating with. Nick was so nice and asked if I was staying Airbnb while I was getting my key. However, I use AirBnB in LA a lot, where it's common for hosts to ask that you never admit to staying at an AirBnB. I was only hesitant to talk with Nick bc I always want to respect my host's privacy. If I'd known, I would've been more talkative.
That being said, check-in and check-out were super easy and didn't require the host being present. Melanie's business only runs in the warmer months, so the house was very quiet with one roommate that I heard occasionally but never saw.
I highly recommend this place and, if I ever come back, I hope that it's still available.