Premium #26533

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  
  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  761

General Overview

We're an outdoors-loving kid- and dog-friendly house in northwest Berkeley. I love this area of Berkeley because it feels the closest to living in a European city, where I can walk to nearly everything from my doorstep, yet it feels safe. In 10-20 minutes I can walk to several grocery stores (including a Japanese and an Indian grocery), swimming pools, parks with kid playgrounds and tennis/basketball courts, bakeries, cafes, breweries, and restaurants, the BART which can take you to San Francisco, Oakland, and two airports. Within 15 minutes of biking, there's 3 climbing gyms! Within 1 hour’s drive there’s San Francisco, wine country (Sonoma, Napa, 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, where I lived for several years and can give some travel advice for. Between me and Marco we've lived in several countries and many cities, but this felt like the most improbable mix of cozy yet urban. We're on a cul-de-sac of families, where we all know each other and help each other out. This is an incredible spot and we often host neighbors' families while we're away on holiday.

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 probably borrow. We might be able to loan some baby/kid stuff too, just ask. There's some babyproofing you can make use of or deactivate. 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 which we'll set up especially for you.

Notes

One of us is a dog (Mica, red heeler), who might come along with us if we're driving. In our home dogs are 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. There's also two couches that can be slept on (I've done it, it's not bad for a night or two).

Features


Washer
Washer
Dishwasher
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Clothes dryer
Oven
Oven
Microwave
Microwave
Coffee machine
Coffee machine
Fridge
Fridge
Heating
Heating
Air conditioning
Air conditioning
TV
TV
WiFi
WiFi
High Speed Internet
High Speed Internet
First aid kit
First aid kit
Smoke alarms
Smoke alarms
Bed sheets
Bed sheets
Towels
Towels
Workspace
Workspace
Toys
Toys
Garden / yard
Garden / yard
EV Home Charger
EV Home Charger
Bikes
Bikes
Kayak
Kayak
Tennis court
Tennis court
Standup paddleboard
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
    Fragrance 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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Premium


Chris

I'm a long-time slow-travelling couchsurfer and host, excited to try this 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. We’ve lived in mountain villages (can handle big winters), cities, hobby farms. We’re handy around the house and can fix whatever comes our way. Excited to travel differently now with a family! We’ve had friends, community, and neighbors’ family stay while we’re gone for holidays travels so hosting is a process we're familiar with and love to do.
Travelling group
LGBTQ+ Friendly Remote Worker
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My Desired Destinations

Open to any destination
Can travel at any time
Dates Flexible
"friends and fam in the area"

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"to visit family"

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Dates Flexible
"Always exploring our home! Currently loving exploring places within 1 day's drive of California."

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Dates Flexible