❤Home Away From Home❤Built 1912, Historic Duckpond

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Entire residential home hosted by Kristin

6 guests, 2 bedrooms, 2 beds, 1 bath

Entire home

You’ll have the house to yourself.

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→ Walk Score 85 (walk to shops, dining, cafes, bars)
→ Private front porch overlooking the Thomas Center Gardens
→ 5 min walk to downtown Gainesville
→ Air-conditioned
→ Fully stocked and equipped kitchen
→ Extremely safe neighborhood
→ Onsite washer + dryer

The space
Perfect for singles & couples, whether vacationing or visiting Gainesville for business. I'm on faculty at UF, as are many of our neighbors. The commute is super-fast-- car, bus, and bike are all less than 15 minute rides. Gainesville is easily bike-able and we have two bikes guests are welcome to borrow (we also offer helmets and remind you to ride at your own risk). Downtown Gainesville is quite walkable as well, it's easy to walk from our home to number of local coffee shops, restaurants, and entertainment options. Oh, and it's just a 6-10 min drive (depending on traffic) to/from the Gainesville Airport.

Our home was built in 1912, named the EF Cannon House (the official plaque is pictured in the photos above) after its first resident. The home was built by his father, EE Cannon, a respected local builder who built a number of homes in our neighborhood, including the two directly west of our home. The house remained in their family until 1975. In 1985-86 a local architect renovated the home and turned it into two units. In 2003, upon finishing my Ph.D. I purchased and moved in to the upstairs unit.

In 2012 my father and I purchased the downstairs unit and spent 18 months renovating it to showcase its historic charm. We installed high efficiency AC/heat units and raised the ceilings back to their original heights. We discovered a fireplace that had been covered and removed a wall that had been added in 1985 to create an unnecessary hallway, creating more space for the kitchen — oh, and the original wood stove was found in the wall behind where the range now sits). With the help of my brother (who is a real-life MacGuyver who can build or fix anything), we attended to the tiniest details -- like the original window pulls and the door hardware that still works with the skeleton keys. We are happy to be able to share this love, light, and laughter filled home with guests.

We respect different people have different preferences. The king size bed in the master bedroom is on the softer side, we added a plush foam topper for comfort. The queen size bed in the guest bedroom is quite firm. The two beds both have four pillows: two king & two standard, one "firm" and one "soft" of each size. The guest bedroom has curtains that can be left down to block out the light or can be tied back for a lovely view. The master bedroom has lace curtains behind which are pulldown-blackout-blinds, again, permitting the choice of lightness or dark. Each room has it's own HVAC unit, so hopefully, like Goldilocks, everyone can feel like things are "just right." :)

Where you'll sleep

What this place offers

Garden view

Kitchen

Wifi

Free parking on premises

EV charger

Washer

Dryer

Air conditioning

Security cameras on property

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(38 reviews)

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1 guest

5.0 out of 5 stars from 38 reviews

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Where you’ll be

Gainesville, Florida, United States

Located in the historic Duckpond neighborhood, our home is located directly across the street (south) of the Thomas Centers Gardens and a half block away from Roper Park (a tiny neighborhood park with swings & slides for local children).

The neighborhood is very quiet and peaceful, surrounded by huge live oaks and the oldest and most distinguished homes in town. In fact, the home just south of ours was built by UF's first president and he was rumored to have given speeches from the second floor balcony that overlooks Roper Park.

Though our neighborhood is very quiet with no traffic noise or loud neighbors, just two blocks west is Main Street and five blocks south is University Avenue and the heart of downtown Gainesville. It's incredibly easy to walk (5 minutes) or bike (2 minutes) downtown. UF campus is a 4-7 minute drive away (depending on if you get red lights or green) or a quick 10-15 minute bike ride (whether your pace is quick or leisurely). And, as mentioned above, it's a quick 6-10 minute drive to/from the Gainesville Airport.

We have the benefit of being located in a lovely historic neighborhood with stately old homes and the convenience of nearby options for dining, entertainment, shopping, etc.

Hosted by Kristin

Joined in September 2011

38 Reviews
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Hi! I'm Kristin. I'm on faculty at UF where I have the pleasure & privilege of working in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center. I was born in Gainesville on a Homecoming Friday (in 1976) at Shands Hospital. I've lived here nearly all of my life, earning my Bachelors (with a major in Psychology & minors in Sociology, Religion, and Women's & Gender Studies), my Masters (in Sociology), my Ph.D. (in Social Psychology in Sociology & a graduate certificate in Women's & Gender Studies), and my PostDoc (in Management & Marketing) degrees from UF. More recently I earned an Executive Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from Stanford. I love sunlight, practicing yoga, tree climbing, supporting local businesses (especially farmers, growers, and restaurants) and businesses that care as much about people & our planet as they do about their profits. I also love meeting new people & learning about their lives. I derive joy from helping businesses & nonprofits to be more sustainable & impactful, and helping young people to find a sense of purpose & meaning. I love living in a historic home-- the 1912 heart-pine floors, the high ceilings and crown moulding, the original door hardware with skeleton keys, the way sunshine dances through the wavy antique glass windows. I enjoy connecting people with local delights-- whether it's locally roasted organic coffee (like Strongtree), organic sourdough bread (from Vine Sourdough Bakery), beer from one of our three local breweries (First Magnitude, Cypress & Grove, or Swamphead), organic produce from a family farm (like Frogsong, The Family Garden, Siembra, or Swallowtail) sold at one of our ten weekly farmers markets, hand-tossed pizza (from Satchel's), craft ramen (from Crane Ramen), homemade Icecream (from Sweetdreams), fresh popsicles made from local ingredients (from Hyppo), the world’s best brownies (from Mosswood Farm Store), watching a play or film at the Hippodrome Theater, walking around Sweetwater Wetlands Park, tubing down the Icetucknee River, descending into the Devil’s Millhopper, biking on the Gainesville-Hawthorne Rail Trail, hiking on Paynes Prairie, practicing yoga at Searchlight, or learning to climb trees with Canopy Climbers. In need of a massage? a good workout at the gym? facial? a pedicure? dry-cleaning? a running trail? clothing alterations? an oil change? … I love to offer solid recommendations for those too. When visiting, as a guest, I resonate most with spaces that are clean, airy, and bright. I delight in exploring new places, and would much rather see destinations "off the beaten path" than touristy spots. Even when traveling for work, I prefer staying at Airbnbs instead of conference hotels, as I'd rather the quirky charm & character of staying in a local neighborhood. I've been on Airbnb as a guest since 2011 and I'm new to hosting. I hope to give guests the same warm hospitality that I've experienced in the past. For more, see: (Website hidden by Airbnb)

Hi! I'm Kristin. I'm on faculty at UF where I have the pleasure & privilege of working in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center. I was born in Gainesville on a Homecoming Friday…

Co-hosts

Daniel Rusteen

During your stay

I want to do whatever I can to make your stay here a delight. You should have everything you need, but if anything should arise, I'm always available to help.