Lovely space in Adams Point by Lake Merritt, Downtown/Uptown Central Business District, Grand Lake, and Pill Hill. Walk score 94, very bikeable, near freeway ramps and public transit. Nearby amenities include arts/entertainment, dining/shops, fitness/relaxation, parks/recreation, medical/convenience services. Approximately 7 miles to OAK and 15 miles to SFO airports; 3 miles to Greyhound; 2-3 miles to Amtrak Oakland and Emeryville; 10 miles to downtown San Francisco; 5 miles to UC Berkeley.
The space
Built circa 1910, our “Eclectic” Arts and Crafts Tudor was part of the development boom of grand homes in Adams Point that took place after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. One of the few remaining single-family houses in the neighborhood, our home is half a block to Lake Merritt’s Lakeside Park and within walking distance of every amenity and point of interest within the urban center. It is conveniently located 3 minutes away to the I-580 East and West freeway on/off ramps and is only a 3–5-minute walk to AC Transit bus lines NL, 12, and 805 and a 17-minute walk to BART.
We want you to enjoy your stay in the Bay Area, which starts with a wonderful Airbnb experience. Whether you are coming for a special event; visiting friends and family; working or doing business in the vicinity; exploring the area for a move; or touring the San Francisco Bay Area, we want you to make yourselves at home during your stay and to feel relaxed, comfortable, and happy.
This cozy, bright, and airy guestroom has two large south-facing windows. Among its furnishings are a queen-size bed, small sofa, desk, and bookshelf filled with classic and contemporary books. There is also a closet and chest of drawers where you may store your belongings. The bedroom locks from both inside and outside. There is a shared full bathroom across the hall from the guestrooms and a shared half-bathroom downstairs at the bottom of the back staircase. Both bathroom doors lock from the inside.
Guest access
Guests have exclusive use of individual guestrooms and of the shared full bathroom on the second floor. Guests also have access to the following areas: half-bathroom, laundry room, kitchen, and formal dining room. The half-bathroom and common areas are shared with our family of 3 and, potentially, with up to 3 other guests. The kitchen and laundry room are in use most days; the formal dining room are in use only occasionally. Mindfulness, common courtesies, and good communications are key to ensuring a comfortable experience.
During your stay
We will be available to answer questions and to offer help throughout your stay. Communications may be in person, by phone, text, or through the Airbnb app. To avoid international phone and texting charges, you may reach us through an instant messaging and voice-over-IP service when connected to Wi-Fi or if you have an international data plan. See details in “How to reach us...” under “House Manual.”
Other things to note
MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY DURING SIMULTANEOUS STAYS
There are three adjacent guestrooms on the second floor served. Each guestroom can accommodate up to 2 persons. While, technically, there could be 6 guests at the same time, simultaneous stays are limited to a maximum of 4 guests when individual guestrooms are booked by separate parties.
FREE ON-SITE PARKING
Free on-site parking for small to medium size vehicles is available upon request, preferably at the time of booking but no later than 24 hours in advance of check-in. Our space does not allow for tall, wide, or long vehicles.
FREE STREET PARKING
Free parking is available on our street and other streets within the neighborhood, although space is generally tight. If you park on the street, check signs for street-sweeping days or other parking restrictions. If you park in a restricted area during a scheduled street sweeping, you can receive a ticket. Also note that it is illegal to be parked in the same spot for more than 72 hours on any public street in California. After 72 hours, the vehicle may be cited and/or towed.
REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER STORAGE
A reasonable amount of space in the refrigerator and freezer is available upon request, preferably at the time of booking but no later than 24 hours in advance of check-in.
EARLY CHECK-IN AND BAG DROP OFF
The check-in window is from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Early check-in or bag drop off may be arranged upon request. Contact us the day prior to your arrival to find out whether or not early check-in is possible. If we are unable to accommodate an early check-in, we would be happy to store your bag(s) until you return.
LIGHT FROM WINDOWS
The rooms do not have room-darkening or blackout window treatments. If you are sensitive to light, bring an eye mask.
POTENTIAL FOR NOISE
We consider our home to be relatively quiet, but there are instances in which some noise is inevitable. See “Urban living,” “Dog at property,” and “Old house quirks” below. No day is the same: one can be calm and quiet, the other can be buzzing with activity and a cacophony of city sounds. If you are extremely sensitive to noise or need a perfectly quiet environment to work or sleep, you may be more comfortable staying elsewhere.
URBAN LIVING
Our home is in an urban setting and located seven buildings from a main thoroughfare that borders on a major city park. Besides street traffic, there is potential noise from loud passersby, neighbors’ pets, urban wildlife, wailing sirens, hovering helicopters, train whistles, underground rail rumblings, airplanes diverted from their regular flight paths, holiday fireworks, construction work, among other things.
DOG AT PROPERTY
We have a 9-pound terrier-mix named Mouse. She is not allowed to run freely around the house. She is confined to one area at a time and will always have a human companion close by. While essentially quiet and sweet-natured, Mouse is territorial and excitable (for example, she may bark at squirrels, birds, and racoons in the backyard; or when she gets a whiff of the mail carrier). She stays mostly in the family space at the back of the house and sometimes in the kitchen--the space where you are most likely to see or hear from Mouse. If you are within her earshot or do come into “her space,” be prepared for momentary barking or growling and the possibility of being jumped on. Nevertheless, Mouse can be soothed with friendly words and gestures.
OLD-HOUSE QUIRKS
The house is over 100 years old and has its quirks:
• The wooden stairs inside the house creak.
• Nearly all of the walls are the original lathe and plaster, and the windows the original single-pane glass: they are not insulated and soundproof.
• The plumbing system is not upgraded throughout the house, and the water temperature in the upstairs shower fluctuates whenever water is being run in other parts of the house. This is not an issue for showers completed by 8:30 a.m., but it could be for showers taken later in the day. For example, while others are preparing meals, using the dishwasher, or doing laundry and other things that require running the water. If you anticipate showering after 8:30 a.m. during your stay, see the “Showering” section under “House Rules.”
ROOM CLEANING SERVICES
The one-time cleaning fee covers only the cost of standard cleaning before each stay (laundry, vacuuming, etc.). For stays of 1 week or less, there is no cleaning service during your stay. For stays of more than 7 nights, you have the option of cleaning the room and changing linens yourself or paying for full or partial cleaning services. See details in “Self-service room cleaning for stays longer than a week” under “House Rules” and in “Full and partial room cleaning services for stays longer than a week” under “House Manual.”
