Charm and Comfort

Guest: jerrydog (Mahomet, IL )
Date of Stay: 11/23/10 Review Submitted: 12/10/10

We loved staying at this house! It was Thanksgiving and we had family and friends together. What gracious comfort! Plenty of room for cooking, dining, and football watching. The bedrooms are lovely and beds excellent--we slept well. Plenty of bathrooms. We cooked out in the lovely back garden. The neighborhood is a real gem--tall trees, very quiet and secure but just minutes from main arteries into the rest of Washington, Chevy Chase, and Bethesda. Maureen was a kind and friendly host who responded immediately to any questions. Our dog was welcome! And he loved the back yard, which is fenced and safe. We will come back--it's "a home" in Washington!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, pet owners, age 55+, girls getaway.

visiting from Paris

Guest: the Martins (Paris )
Date of Stay: 10/27/10 Review Submitted: 11/14/10

Our family of five stayed here for a week in late October. It was perfect for us, returning to see old friends in DC where we used to live. Maureen could not have been more helpful and considerate before, during and after the rental - the children were delighted with the halloween costumes and pumpkins she gave them. She is the most accommodating of owners. The location is unbeatable (you are really in the heart of one of DC's best neighbourhoods) and you feel like you are in a proper home, rather than an anonymous hotel or rental apartment. If you want the latter, look elsewhere. Absolutely no complaints about cleanliness: it was spotless, with good linens and towels. Cooks will find the small kitchen remarkably well equipped, and there was plenty of reading matter for all tastes. The bedroom arrangement worked very well for us - two kids shared the twin room, the older one had her own bedroom, but I'm not sure that it would be such a comfy fit for too many more people. Very comfortable beds. We highly recommend this house, and would happily return.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

A Quiet Place in DC!!!

Guest: Cathy& Dave (Connecticut )
Date of Stay: 10/19/10 Review Submitted: 10/31/10

Our family was in D C for my son's wedding and chose this property because it was pet friendly but it was so much more. It is an older home in a lovely, quiet neighborhood which is an oasis from all the traffic, just blocks away. Due to the traffic, we found that it was easier to walk than drive to local stores and restaurants. The owner provides resident parking passes and parking in front of the house is always available. If going downtown,use the metro if you can. One block to bus lines. The listing photos are an accurate reflection of the home and there is upgraded bedding in the master bedroom. If you have a dog, the yard is quite large for a city and fenced all around. However, our dog is not a fan of stairs and preferred long walks in the neighborhood. The owner is simply great , very friendly and,accomodating. She provided detailed instructions on the house, amenities and local stores & restaurants. She even made sure we took advantage of grocery discount cards. There were no issues with rental agreement and a timely return of security deposit. The house was very clean and had a smaller functional kitchen which we did not fully utilize. Since we were quite busy with wedding activities we did not fully take advantage of the the neighborhood. Would recommend Comet pizza for gourmet pizza listed as one of DC top cheap eats. Nail salon across the street from there was great for last minute appointments. Do not know when but we will return.

Owner response:As they have indicated, these guests came to DC for their son's wedding. Friends and family came from all over, most of them staying in hotels. However, the groom's mom, dad, grandmother, sister, and sister's boyfriend all stayed at my DC vacation rental house. (Also included was the beautiful Dee Dee, the family dog, who was not about to be left out of the grand occasion.) My guests found DC traffic rather daunting but were surprised that the house is untouched by city noise and traffic. One reason is that this particular neighborhood happens to back up against Rock Creek Park. Rock Creek Park is a massive tract of federal parkland in the center of Washington, DC. This particular street (Livingston St., NW), is rather short and ends a half block from the house. Therefore, very little traffic comes onto this block. Yet Connecticut Ave., one of the main arteries of the city, and which goes down straight to the White House, is only 2&1/2 blocks away. Connecticut Ave. is full of shops and restaurants, banks, grocery and drug stores, movie theater, video rental place, etc. Pretty much anything you need is within walking distance of the house, including public transportation. If you stay here, it is nice to have a car, but you don't really need one. If you do have a car, parking is no problem. There is always plenty of parking in front of the house. I also provide temporary resident parking passes which allow you to park throughout the neighborhood and close to the Friendship Heights Metro station all day for free. No one wants to come to DC and stay out in the suburbs. On the other hand, some of the DC neighborhoods can be a bit dicey when it comes to issues of safety. My house is the perfect solution. It is quiet and safe, yet it is right in the city and convenient to everything by either car or public transportation.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, sightseeing.

The Butlers

Guest: Valerie (Denver)
Date of Stay: 01/06/10 Review Submitted: 10/14/10

We have family in Chevy Chase, and this ended up being a perfect spot for us. We stayed for 10 days in January 2010. the owner was amazing, and very helpful. Our 18 month Grand Daughter also loved it, and was made so welcome. It was nice having the crib. This is a great find in DC, we would definitely stay again, we have good memories of our days there. The shopping is excellent, we loved the Broadbranch Market 2 blocks away. All in all a big thank you for having us, cheers Dave and Valerie

Owner response:These lovely guests came to the Washington, DC area from Denver in order to help their children and grandchild move into a house in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It should be noted that my rental house is located in Chevy Chase, DC, whereas there is an adjacent neighborhood in Maryland, also called Chevy Chase. (Chevy Chase, Maryland, is very exclusive, by the way. I am told that the Chevy Chase Country Club, just up the street from my rental house on Connecticut Avenue, turned down Richard Nixon for membership when he was a U.S. Senator.) My guests' little 18 month-old granddaughter crawled all over the house, so my guests obviously found the house to be clean. As stated above, they also found the house convenient for shopping. They loved walking over to the broad Branch Market and once brought me fresh-baked bread from there, still warm. The broad Branch Market is a neighborhood gourmet market which sells fresh-brewed coffee, beer, wine, prepared foods, such as lasagnia, vegetable dishes, fresh baked bread, olives, fresh meats and fish, also has a separate ice cream parlor. It is a bit pricy, but the quality is very high. Across from the Broad Branch Market, on Saturdays from 9 to 2, is a year-round farmers' market which allows only locally-produced bread, meats, eggs, vegetables, jams, fruits, etc. to be sold.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, sightseeing, families with young children.

Great place to stay!

Guest: yahoodooley (Nibley, Utah)
Date of Stay: 09/17/10 Review Submitted: 09/25/10

The home is exactly as advertised; perhaps better. The home was clean and well equipped - it is just like having all the amenities of home when you are on vacation (crib, highchair and laundry)! We stayed for a week and had a wonderful time. It is close to a metro bus stop (2 blocks) and is in a very nice, quite, secure neighborhood. My parents (60+), my children (16, 14, and 10 months) and I had a superb experience with the owner. We arrived at 2:00 am and the owner was there to greet us and had even put some food in the refridgerator for us to eat. The home is well equipped with all the amenities needed and the rooms and beds are excellent. With 3 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms and a basement room, a dining room, kitchen and famly room it has plenty of space. This is a great place to stay and is about 40 minutes by bus and rail from the Mall. It is close to a supermarket and is very peaceful. We would definitely stay again and would recommend this property and its gracious owner to our friends and family. On a note, my parents even extended an invitation to owner to come and visit them in Utah.

Owner response:I have met such great people while renting my house. I often feel sad when people leave at the end of their stay. That was especially true in this case. But I am invited to come and visit them "and we won't even charge you any rent". Their flights were delayed, so they did not arrive until 2 AM. It was no trouble for me to meet them anyway and to put some drinks and groceries in the fridge for them. I was not the one who had to travel for extra hours with a 10 month-old baby. The house is at it appears in the photos except for a couple of upgrades since the photos were taken. It is a 3-bedroom center-hall colonial built in the 1940's. It is decorated accordingly. (If you are expecting an ultra-modern feng-shui type of place, as some people want, this is not it.) It is intended to be as nice as possible without people feeling they have to tiptoe around. It is an old house and is typical of most of the houses located right in Washington, DC. Newer places are mostly out in the suburbs. Because the house is located right in the city (and in the nicest part of the city), nothing is very far. If you are planning a trip to Washington, DC, and if you decide to choose my house, I will do my very best to be sure the house is clean and comfortable for you. This family let their baby crawl all over the place, so they were clearly happy with the level of cleanliness. Dad was coming to DC on business. Instead of having to be stuck by himself in an overpriced hotel room, he decided to rent my house and bring the whole family along to see the Nation's Capital. What a great idea!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, pet owners, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

Great Stay in a Great Location

Guest: Bob (Windsor, California, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/12/10 Review Submitted: 08/19/10

Mt two brothers and I stayed here for 5 nights in late May. We wanted a location that was close to Baltimore (Pimlico) and Washington DC. The owner was very accomodating. She met us at the house after our late arrival and provided us with breakfast supplies. We found the place to be clean and comfortable and well furnished.

Owner response:These were great guys as have been so many of the people who have rented my house. They told me they had a "Bucket List" and that on that list was to attend all three of the horse races in the Triple Crown: The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. They went to the Kentucky Derby last year. This year they came for the Preakness which is held in Baltimore at Pimlico. They also wanted to see some of the sights in Washington, DC. They flew into Dulles Airport late at night and asked me if I would have the fridge stocked for them so that they would be able to have breakfast in the morning without having to go out. I was happy to do it. The house is located in upper northwest Washington, DC, the nicest part of the city. However, it is not only close to downtown DC, but the house also happens to be only about a 45 minute drive to Baltimore. Baltimore is a great city to visit. Many of my guests have made side trips to Baltimore (Orioles games, the inner harbor, tall ships, blue shell crabs, ethic neighborhoods and restaurants), and also, of course, the Preakness. Other places such as Annapolis ( the Naval Academy, historic old town and harbor), and Harpers Ferry and other Civil War sites, are also only about an hour's drive or less from the house. These guys went to the races and did a good job handicapping the horses. This is what they wrote in the guest book which I keep in the house: "The three _____ brothers came from California for the Preakness - Lookin' to get Lucky - and we did. After the Preakness we spent two days visiting the monuments and government buildings, including the White House. We had a great time. Maureen - thank you for being such a good host."

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

Nice Neighborhood - Cluttered House

Guest: Traveling Family (San Francisco Bay Area, California)
Date of Stay: 06/23/10 Review Submitted: 08/11/10

We stayed here in June 2010. I'll start with the positives: the house is air conditioned and in a lovely, safe neighborhood. Also, the owner provides a parking pass for use near the Metro station and other nearby shopping districts, which is necessary because nothing is within a comfortable walking distance. Also, there is a washer and dryer in the basement. Now to the disappointments: It appears that this home is used as a storage shed by the owner, who lives next door. When we arrived, piles of her mail were spread across the only dining table in the house. There are piles and piles and piles of old magazines littered throughout the house. Perhaps it has a "homey" feel for those accustomed to hoarding or hardcore collecting because it is packed to the brim with "antiques" or just plain old things. The owner's clothes are stored in the closets and in the basement and she occasionally has to pop in to retrieve some of those clothes. She insisted the bathrooms were clean, but we clearly have a different idea of clean - hairs on the floor and in the shower is not what I expected. Strangely, the cleanest bathroom was in the basement, but my son was too scared to go down there because of the head of an old manequin that is perched at the bottom of the stairs, staring at you as you descend. The furnishings range from antiques to modern to those that look like toss out/free/old college student furniture and nothing matches or looks quite right together. The owner "lost" and then found again one of the deposit checks that we sent. She also took more than a month and a half to return our deposit.

Owner response:The criticisms are inconsistent with other reviews and were not made at the time of the rental, nor were they made by the person who actually rented the house. "nothing is within a comfortable walking distance", yet shops and restaurants are 2&1/2 blocks away. "home is used as a storage shed" Things are stored in the attic and basement, but this does not affect guests' use of the house. "mail on the dining table" I brought some paperwork to do while waiting for the guests to arrive, took all of it with me when I left. "old magazines" These are current subscriptions sent to me for free because I am a physician. I no longer have a waiting room, so I provide these mags (Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, Golf, ESPN, Harper's Bazaar, US Weekly, Entertainment, Boys' Life, Gourmet, Parenting) to my guests rather than waste them. Most guests really enjoy these and also the many maps and guidebooks I provide. "owner's clothes stored in the closets" Not true. There is an extra closet in the MBR used for storage of extra pillows and comforters. A few hanging items are on one side of the closet. This closet is not for use by guests. There is another empty closet in the MBR for guests to use. "hairs on the floor" My housekeeper is excellent and works for some of the finest families in DC. If there was an oversight, nothing was said about it at the time, or it would have been immediately corrected. "furnishings" are exactly as they appear in the photos on my posting. Most furnishings are high quality. Some have been damaged by guests leaving wet towels and cold drinks on the furniture. "deposit" These guests did not pay the deposit or rent on time, and I had to chase them for it. However, it is true I was late returning their deposit. It was an oversight. My father had just died, and I was swamped having to settle his estate. I sent the deposit in full as soon as I was reminded. I think the main problem here is that two families tried to share a 3BR house. They probably felt cramped. They paid a pittance compared to what a hotel would have cost for that many people. This is an old house (1940's) as are most houses located right in DC. But it is a million-dollar house in one of the best neighborhoods. This party would have been happier if they had rented a bigger, new house with modern decor. But that would have meant staying out in the suburbs. Please contact the owner at any time with questions or concerns.

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Guest: Judy Smith2 (-)
Date of Stay: 08/08/08 Review Submitted: 08/08/08

My husband and I stayed in this lovely home with our daughter and her family (there were 6 of us) while we toured Washington DC.in July--The house is fully air-conditioned! The location is perfect--it's a wonderful,safe,family neighborhood & we were in downtown DC within 10-15 minutes of boarding the Metro. The house was perfect for us--we used all 3 bedrooms and even the bed in the basement. We cooked dinners most nights (had take-out,too) and always had breakfast there in the mornings.The kitchen had everything we needed & easy shopping and restaurants are nearby. This was so much better than staying in a hotel. The owner is so very pleasant and helpful and went out of her way to make our stay enjoyable.I loved the fact that she was right next door. I would definitely come again!!! Judy Smith

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Guest: Cindy Walsh (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 01/08/08 Review Submitted: 01/08/08

My daughter graduated from American University May, 2007 and we stayed here for a long weekend. It was perfect in terms of location. We had 7 adults and we only had to rent one car because everything is so convenient by walking or Metro. Gardens were in full bloom. Made for a great back drop. Had the graduation party on the premise and the owner helped us set up catering. Great buy. Great location. Excellent hostess.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/04/08 Review Submitted: 01/04/08

This house is wonderful in every respect - amenities, location, and price. An added plus was having the owner next door who anticipated our every need and went out of the way to help us enjoy our stay and the city. If you're looking for a comfortable, safe haven while visiting DC, this house fits the bill. Catlin from Portland.

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