Walkable, bikable, family neighborhood! visit San Francisco, Yosemite, wine country
House • Berkeley CA United States
6 Guests
3 Bedrooms
4 Beds
1 Bathroom
Pets welcome
1 Car available
Primary home
Exchange types accepted
Simultaneous
Non-Simultaneous
Non-Reciprocal & Globe
Hospitality
Hospitality Description: We have 1 guest room, an office that beds can be set up in, plus sometimes a camper van! You’ll be hosted by 1 or 2 adults and maybe a baby or dog, depending on travel schedules. We expect guests to be independent during the day and if our schedule permits, would love to share a morning coffee or evening meal and conversation.
Statistics
Listed December 2024
Views 46
General overview
We're an outdoors-loving kid- and dog-friendly house in northwest Berkeley, just far enough from the intensity of downtown and campus, but still surrounded by things to walk and bike to. It's a cul-de-sac of families, where we all know each other and help each other out. I barely use a car while going about my daily life, walkable (15 minutes) to 4 grocery stores, two swimming pools, parks, tennis courts, bakeries, cafes, breweries, and restaurants. Within 15 minutes of biking, there's 3 climbing gyms! Within 1 hour’s drive there’s San Francisco, wine country (Sonoma and Santa Rosa), the birthplace of mountain biking in Marin, surfing and beaches in Pacifica & Halfmoon Bay, mushroom hunting and kayaking in Point Reyes, kayaking and paddling on the Sacramento delta and Russian River, climbing in Castle Rock and local Indian Rock and Mortar Rock. Within 3-4 hours drive there’s camping and climbing and skiing in Tahoe and Yosemite and the most welcoming mountains on earth, the Sierra.
The space
Single story with one step into the house, a courtyard and backyard. We are minimalists so it’s compact and simple, a home base for adventure. With kid and dog the home is well-loved, so no need to worry about messing up any nice things. With so much to do around here we don’t spend much time inside! We have several musical instruments you can play: double bass, electric upright bass, piano keyboard, 3/4 guitar, ukulele, electric fretless bass ukulele (strung like a bass but on a ukulele body). We have a lot of bikes, including a bakfiets, which you can borrow. We might be able to loan some baby/kid stuff too. We often leave on road trips so not sure if the car will be available, we can discuss. Kitchen is well-equipped as we love home cooking. We are doing the landscaping ourselves so the yard is minimalistic while we are planting and the baby trees are growing! Fenced yard for dogs and kids to run around in, including a kid playset. I’ll go back and add more pics later, I’m writing this while on a road trip and photo upload is finicky! ask me if you have more questions about the space.
Guest access
Single story, one step into the house. Door opens with key code.
Notes
One of us is a dog (Mica, red heeler), she’ll likely come with us. Dogs welcome but no cats due to allergy. Sleeping situation: There's two rooms with a queen bed in each, plus an office. For bonus beds, there's 2 half queen mattresses (that can be combined or remain separate) that can be set up in the office, and a floor couch that flattens to approximately twin size.
Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
Air conditioning
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Bathtub
First aid kit
Wheelchair accessible
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Home cinema
Toys
Gym
Sauna
BBQ
Pool
Hot tub
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
Covered porch / verandah
Kosher home
Meat-free kitchen
Gated community
EV Home Charger
Bikes
Camping gear
Kayak
Tennis court
Standup paddleboard
Travel Styles
Long term
Weekend
Budget
Family
Sport and leisure
Foodie
Relaxing
City
Culture
Hiking
Cycling
Last minute
Good public transport
Golf
Accessibility
Single level
Accessible height bed
Handheld shower
House rules
Suitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets welcome
No smoking
Allergens
Cat free
Carpet free
Smoke free
Dates of Availability
Click on availability periods to see exchange types and descriptions.
Available
Neighbourhood
This area feels safe for an urban area, I walk late at night by myself (which is not something I would have done where I lived in San Francisco or Oakland). Within a couple blocks is an outdoor brewery restaurant (kid-friendly), wine bar with patio (21+), coffee & donut shop, sushi restaurant, Thai restaurant, upscale pizza restaurant, bagel shop with boba, bike store, and grocery store with home goods and bulk bins. There are probably a hundred restaurants, breweries, and bars if you're willing to walk slightly slightly further (20 minutes). The North Berkeley BART station that will take you to downtown Berkeley, Oakland, or San Francisco is 15 minutes walk down a pedestrian way. There's several parks to walk to within 15 minutes: Cedar Rose Park, Jewel's Terrace (with a small lawn for off leash dogs), King School Park, Dartmouth Tot Lot (for smaller kids 4 and under). If you want to be hiking in nature within a 11 minute drive and have sweeping views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the entire bay area, Tilden Park is right up the hill.
Getting to my home
From SFO or Oakland airport, take the BART to North Berkeley station and walk 15 minutes down the pedestrian path. Because there's always traffic in San Francisco, and commuter traffic in Oakland, hiring a car will often backfire.
Nearest airport
Oakland and SFO.
Getting around
It's a quick 15 min walk on a safe pedestrian trail to North Berkeley BART. It’s also easy to drive anywhere you want!
Map of Approximate Location
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People Like Us Local Guide
We are climbers, and can give recommendations about backpacking and climbing the Sierra/Yosemite :D
Feedback
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I'm a long-time slow-travelling couchsurfer and host, curious to try this new platform. I’ve done it all: planes, trains, hitchhiking, backpacking, living in a van while climbing and mountaineering. I’ve visited over 30 countries and lived in 3. Excited to travel different now with a family! We’ve had neighbors’ family stay while we’re gone for holiday travels so our house is already set up for this.
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