I’ve stayed in two of Ben and Jamie’s apartments. Both of the places are super-adorable—nicely furnished, and really nicely decorated. The apartment above their house is really bright and sunny, and the one in the converted garage is private and spacious. The location is near cool bars (one of them seemed to have live music most nights), restaurants, a gelato place, etc. At the same time, the property itself is on a quiet and peaceful street—so, the best of both worlds. There’s a Whole Foods grocery store nearby, as well as the famous Music Millenium record store and the wonderful Voodoo Doughnuts (not to be missed on a visit to Portland, unless you are diabetic—vegan doughnuts available, too, I think). There are two parks within walking distance, including the enormous and beautiful Laurelhurst Park. I actually spent a lot of time sitting in the back yard, just drinking coffee and soaking up the vibe of the neighborhood—it’s very, very pleasant.

Ben and Jamie are really nice—as sociable as you want, or as discreet as you want. Their daughter Pauline is totally beautiful and sweet, and there’s this cat who wanders around the property who will occasionally deign to satisfy your animal-petting needs.

If you’re not American: Jamie’s French is outstanding, and Ben’s German is native.