★Spacious 1912 Duckpond home in the ❤ of Downtown★
Entire home in Gainesville, Florida
- 6 guests
- 2 bedrooms
- 2 beds
- 1 bath
Hosted by Kristin
- Superhost
- 9 years hosting
Listing highlights
In the Duckpond, steps from Thomas Center
Right across from the Thomas Center gardens, with downtown dining about a 5-min walk south
A restored 1912 home full of character
An 1912 home with original details, a chef's kitchen, a wood-burning fireplace, and a large porch
Kristin goes above and beyond
Guests highlight Kristin's warmth and attentiveness, with many calling her the most thoughtful host
This beautiful first story home overlooks the gardens of the Thomas Center, in a peaceful, historic neighborhood just a 5-10 minute walk from the bars, restaurants and nightlife of downtown Gainesville. A large porch provides the perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, while the light, airy living area offers a pleasant, air-conditioned space. Two generously sized bedrooms are accompanied by a spacious hallway bathroom and large living & dining areas with a chef's kitchen.
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 primary bedroom is on the softer side, we added a plush foam topper for extra 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 primary bedroom has lace curtains behind which are pulldown-blackout-blinds, again, permitting the choice of lightness or dark. Each room has its own HVAC unit, so hopefully, like Goldilocks, everyone can feel like things are "just right.”
There is super speedy high-speed Wifi access throughout the home and on the front porch. If wired Ethernet access is also helpful, guests are welcome to use the port located in the living room.
Guest access
Guests will have full access to the entire downstairs home as well as the porches and east gardens.
The only shared space is the driveway & porches, but I respect guests' privacy and will not knowingly cross paths during your stay, unless guests reach out, and then I'm happy to do whatever I can to assist.
Other things to note
Sustainability & responsibility are near & dear to our hearts. We do our best to walk our talk:
- we offer guests options for waste sorting: trash, recycling, and composting
- guests with electric vehicles are welcome to charge in our garage, we have a Chargepoint Level 2 32A charging station, listed on Plugshare, I use it for my BMW i3, though the manufacturer's website says it can be used for all electric vehicles, including Teslas (Tesla drivers: please bring your adapter or plan to use our 32A outlet with your portable charger).
- we partner with We are Neutral to offset the energy & water footprint of each guest's stay, they plant trees & do retrofits on the homes of low income folks in our community so that your stay with us is carbon neutral
- we partner with Arcadia Power to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates so that the utilities used during your stay are wind-powered
- we love supporting businesses who use the power of business to make the world a better place. Many of the products in the home are from local businesses and/or certified B Corporations (who care about people & the plant as much as they do about profits), and we do our best to provide items for guests that are certified organic, fair trade, etc.
- we use a "natural" pest control company so that no toxic pesticides are used inside the home or outside on the plants & greenery. The products they use are so safe that people & pets could eat them.
- we understand some people have chemical sensitivities and thus we do not use any sort of artificial fragrances, perfumes, air fresheners, scented candles, incense, etc. inside or near the home. When renovating, we chose all low/no VOC products.
- we are empathetic to people who have special diets-- whether they're vegan, gluten-free, paleo, localvores, etc. We're happy to help you find places in town to get your foodie on. ;)
When it comes to Covid, the flu, and other communicable infections, we believe we're all in this together. We go above & beyond Airbnb's Enhanced Clean standards. We upgraded to institutional quality MERV 14 rated HEPA filters for the HVAC system and change them out regularly to keep the air in the home as clean as possible. We like to schedule at least 1 day between reservations in order to air-out the home before the cleaner comes to professionally clean, disinfect, and sanitize the entire space before the next guests arrive. Clorox & Lysol wipes, hand sanitizer, and extra soap for hand washing are all provided.
As mentioned in the Things to Know section:
As pictured, there are no curtains or window coverings in the kitchen, dining room, or living room— allowing for such lovely light. Both bedrooms have curtains and there are black-out roll-down blinds in the Primary bedroom, a pull-rod for the black-out blinds that is in bedroom closet.
This is a no-smoking property. Please do not smoke cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaporizers, cigars, cloves, anything inside the house, on the porches, or anywhere on the property. Smokers are welcome to walk a few steps north to the Thomas Center and smoke there, or a half block south to Roper Park and smoke there.
We use "Smart Pricing" which automatically adjusts price based on demand; it does not account for holidays & certain events like Gator Games & Graduation. Some of the special/holiday weekends/events listed below may have 3 night minimum stays, please check the calendar for availability:
*Spring 2025 Special Pricing*
Fri. 1/17 - Mon. 1/20: MLK Weekend
Fri. 2/14 - M. 2/17: Valentine’s Day + Presidents’ Day Weekend
Thurs. 2/20 - Sun. 2/23: UF Spring Family Weekend
Wed. 3/5 - Sun. 3/9: Gatornationals (drag racing)
Fri. 4/11 - Sun. 4/13: Spring Arts Festival + UF Gator Football Orange & Blue Game
Fri. 4/25 - Wed. 4/30: Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale
Wed. 4/30 - Mon. 5/5: UF Spring Graduations
Thurs. 5/15 - Sun. 5/18: UF Law School Graduation
Fri. 5/23 - Mon. 5/26: Memorial Day Weekend
Fri. 5/30 - Mon. 6/2: Local High School Graduations
Please note: the Downtown Hampton Inn & Suites is just a few blocks south of our home. It’s booked solid for most Gator Game + Graduation weekends. Rooms there go for a minimum of $699/night (before fees & taxes) and are just 325sqft (or a minimum of $739/night for a 415sqft suite with no kitchenette). Our home is 4x that size (1650sqft interior, 1800+ sqft including the porch) and has a chef’s kitchen, huge porch, and a plethora of amenities… just something to consider. :)
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 primary bedroom is on the softer side, we added a plush foam topper for extra 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 primary bedroom has lace curtains behind which are pulldown-blackout-blinds, again, permitting the choice of lightness or dark. Each room has its own HVAC unit, so hopefully, like Goldilocks, everyone can feel like things are "just right.”
There is super speedy high-speed Wifi access throughout the home and on the front porch. If wired Ethernet access is also helpful, guests are welcome to use the port located in the living room.
Guest access
Guests will have full access to the entire downstairs home as well as the porches and east gardens.
The only shared space is the driveway & porches, but I respect guests' privacy and will not knowingly cross paths during your stay, unless guests reach out, and then I'm happy to do whatever I can to assist.
Other things to note
Sustainability & responsibility are near & dear to our hearts. We do our best to walk our talk:
- we offer guests options for waste sorting: trash, recycling, and composting
- guests with electric vehicles are welcome to charge in our garage, we have a Chargepoint Level 2 32A charging station, listed on Plugshare, I use it for my BMW i3, though the manufacturer's website says it can be used for all electric vehicles, including Teslas (Tesla drivers: please bring your adapter or plan to use our 32A outlet with your portable charger).
- we partner with We are Neutral to offset the energy & water footprint of each guest's stay, they plant trees & do retrofits on the homes of low income folks in our community so that your stay with us is carbon neutral
- we partner with Arcadia Power to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates so that the utilities used during your stay are wind-powered
- we love supporting businesses who use the power of business to make the world a better place. Many of the products in the home are from local businesses and/or certified B Corporations (who care about people & the plant as much as they do about profits), and we do our best to provide items for guests that are certified organic, fair trade, etc.
- we use a "natural" pest control company so that no toxic pesticides are used inside the home or outside on the plants & greenery. The products they use are so safe that people & pets could eat them.
- we understand some people have chemical sensitivities and thus we do not use any sort of artificial fragrances, perfumes, air fresheners, scented candles, incense, etc. inside or near the home. When renovating, we chose all low/no VOC products.
- we are empathetic to people who have special diets-- whether they're vegan, gluten-free, paleo, localvores, etc. We're happy to help you find places in town to get your foodie on. ;)
When it comes to Covid, the flu, and other communicable infections, we believe we're all in this together. We go above & beyond Airbnb's Enhanced Clean standards. We upgraded to institutional quality MERV 14 rated HEPA filters for the HVAC system and change them out regularly to keep the air in the home as clean as possible. We like to schedule at least 1 day between reservations in order to air-out the home before the cleaner comes to professionally clean, disinfect, and sanitize the entire space before the next guests arrive. Clorox & Lysol wipes, hand sanitizer, and extra soap for hand washing are all provided.
As mentioned in the Things to Know section:
As pictured, there are no curtains or window coverings in the kitchen, dining room, or living room— allowing for such lovely light. Both bedrooms have curtains and there are black-out roll-down blinds in the Primary bedroom, a pull-rod for the black-out blinds that is in bedroom closet.
This is a no-smoking property. Please do not smoke cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaporizers, cigars, cloves, anything inside the house, on the porches, or anywhere on the property. Smokers are welcome to walk a few steps north to the Thomas Center and smoke there, or a half block south to Roper Park and smoke there.
We use "Smart Pricing" which automatically adjusts price based on demand; it does not account for holidays & certain events like Gator Games & Graduation. Some of the special/holiday weekends/events listed below may have 3 night minimum stays, please check the calendar for availability:
*Spring 2025 Special Pricing*
Fri. 1/17 - Mon. 1/20: MLK Weekend
Fri. 2/14 - M. 2/17: Valentine’s Day + Presidents’ Day Weekend
Thurs. 2/20 - Sun. 2/23: UF Spring Family Weekend
Wed. 3/5 - Sun. 3/9: Gatornationals (drag racing)
Fri. 4/11 - Sun. 4/13: Spring Arts Festival + UF Gator Football Orange & Blue Game
Fri. 4/25 - Wed. 4/30: Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale
Wed. 4/30 - Mon. 5/5: UF Spring Graduations
Thurs. 5/15 - Sun. 5/18: UF Law School Graduation
Fri. 5/23 - Mon. 5/26: Memorial Day Weekend
Fri. 5/30 - Mon. 6/2: Local High School Graduations
Please note: the Downtown Hampton Inn & Suites is just a few blocks south of our home. It’s booked solid for most Gator Game + Graduation weekends. Rooms there go for a minimum of $699/night (before fees & taxes) and are just 325sqft (or a minimum of $739/night for a 415sqft suite with no kitchenette). Our home is 4x that size (1650sqft interior, 1800+ sqft including the porch) and has a chef’s kitchen, huge porch, and a plethora of amenities… just something to consider. :)
Where you’ll sleep
What this place offers
Garden view
Kitchen
Fast wifi – 302 Mbps
Dedicated workspace
Free parking on premises
Accessibility features
This info was provided by the Host and reviewed by Airbnb.
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Rated 4.99 out of 5 from 86 reviews.
Guest favorite
This home is a guest favorite based on ratings, reviews, and reliability
Overall rating
- 5 stars, 99% of reviews
- 4 stars, 1% of reviews
- 3 stars, 0% of reviews
- 2 stars, 0% of reviews
- 1 stars, 0% of reviews
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for cleanliness
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for accuracy
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for check-in
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for communication
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for location
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for value
Guests mention
Where you’ll be
Gainesville, Florida, United States
This listing's location is verified.
Neighborhood highlights
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.
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.
Meet your host
Born in the 70s
My work: University of Florida, Do Good Well Consulting
I've enjoying staying in Airbnbs since 2012; I've had the joy of serving as a Host & Superhost since 2017.
I love connecting guests with local delights: Sweetwater organic coffee, produce from our farmers markets, brunch at Superette, drinks from KinBar, shows at Heartwood, books from The Lynx, yoga at Wildflowers.
As a guest, I prefer the quirky charm of local neighborhoods. I resonate most with spaces that are clean, airy, and bright. ☺️
Kristin is a Superhost
Host details
Response rate: 100%
Responds within an hour
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