Visiting Grandparents

Guest: M & J (Cumming, GA)
Date of Stay: 04/27/11 Review Submitted: 01/23/12

What a perfect place to stay during our extended visit to Seattle! Mary and Bob have thought of everything to make our stay so comfortable. Also, it's a great location in relation to shops, restaurants, movie, library, parks, and public bus transportation. We hope to be able to come back some day.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Ballard Victorian

Guest: none (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl)
Date of Stay: 07/01/11 Review Submitted: 01/23/12

July, 2011 This is our 3rd stay at Bob and Mary's "Ballard Victorian". We come to Seattle to visit our daughter who has made her home here in Ballard. We love staying here to be near our daughter and within walking distance to the restaurants and shops as well as the many things Seattle has to offer such as scenery,food, golf,ferries, museums. Whatever the weather, there is always something to do. Thanks so much again Bob and Mary for your warm hospitality and for a wonderful summer.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with young children, age 55+, tourists without a car.

A wonderful place for grandparents

Guest: Lynnie and Iram (McLean, VA)
Date of Stay: 12/15/10 Review Submitted: 04/24/11

Highly recommended. We stayed her for four months when our daughter's third child was born. The apartment is well-furnished and was perfect for our grand-daughters(3 and 6 years) to stay over. The apartment upstairs is rented to a young couple who never heard the ruckus as our girls tumbled and giggled downstairs. The kids were happy in the two very comfortable sofa beds, as were other relatives who came to visit. Ballard is charming and the house is well-located for walking to the supermarket, public library and drugstore, only a few blocks away. Also in walking distance, downtown Ballard with several very good restaurants.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with young children, age 55+, tourists without a car.

Our Home away from Home

Guest: kathy and Bob (Norwood Ma USA)
Date of Stay: 11/01/10 Review Submitted: 04/05/11

We stayed in the "Ballard Victorian" last November for a month. My only regret is that we had to leave. I felt at home immediatly the house is so quaint and well cared for. I especially loved the kitchen i enjoy cooking and all the equipment was there. We hosted a dinner party for our family who live in Magnolia and Bellevue a total of 10 we fit everyone with room to spare. I also loved sitting at the dining room table in front of the 4 large windows and watching all the goings on in "our" neighborhood! My husband and I love to walk and Ballard is definatly a walking city we even did all our shopping locally walking to all the stores. The Victorian is just 3 blocks from the downtown as soon as you get to that last block the aroma of coffee fills the air. Wow all those awesome bakeries it was amazing i was in heaven. We plan on going back again this November our grandchildren would be very upset if we dont they also loved our Ballard digs! Thank you Melvey Family from 2 big fans.........Kathy and Bob from Boston

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, families with young children, age 55+.

Guest: The Camerons (Bethlehem, PA)
Date of Stay: 01/30/10 Review Submitted: 01/30/10

Your Victorian in Ballard proved to be the perfect place for us to stay while recently visiting our son. As he had not been able to be home for the holidays we were looking forward to spending as much time as possible with him: relaxing together; getting acquainted with Ballard; meeting his friends. The Victorian afforded us the ability to do all of this in great comfort and style. We loved the decor and the spaciousness of the flat. We made great use of the well appointed kitchen hosting a gathering for eight one evening. We loved being able to walk to Ballard's great restaurants and shops, catching breathtaking glimpses of the sunlit Olympics as we made our way to town. We very much look forward to staying in the Victorian on our next trip to Seattle.

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Guest: Plummer Family (-)
Date of Stay: 10/26/09 Review Submitted: 10/26/09

What a treasure in Ballard! We spent a month at the Victorian with our two little ones. Great location (we could easily pram / walk everywhere), ample street parking and parks for kids. Fantastic kitchen, great amenities. Although it is technically a 1 bedroom - we easily made it work by using the living room for the two kids cribs... then we had the rest of the house! We'd stay here again without hesitation. The only downside of the Victorian is the proximity to Cupcake Royale - which didn't help our waistlines! Good value for money. Highly recommended.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/08/09 Review Submitted: 10/08/09

I occupied the Ballard Victorian apartment for 6 months in 2008/2009. It was superb, and I count myself so lucky in finding it. The beautiful kitchen, very nice furnishings, and good size made it a great experience. The landlords were always prompt in adressing any problems or needs. The whole feel of the place is sweet. Ballard is a lovely community with most necessities, and entertainment in walking distance.

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Guest: Steve207 (Phoenix, AZ )
Date of Stay: 07/21/09 Review Submitted: 07/21/09

5 out of 5 stars, suitable for a romantic getaway or entire family funThis home is absolutely wonderful. Our family stayed here for two months in the summer of 09. The home is a wonderfully restored Victorian home in the vibrant neighborhood of Ballard, a few miles northwest of downtown. When our family of 4 stayed here it felt as though it was our second home. From the beautiful oak floors, marble countertops, and old world charm, this home is stunning. We slept on the fold out sofa for two months and it was as comfortable as our bed at home. The location is in one of Seattle’s most vibrant neighborhoods. You can walk to cafes, restaurants, movie theatres, nightlife, a new library, kids splash park, Trader Joes "a little longer walk but doable", the ship canal, Seattle’s newest independent clothing designers. My wife came home with about a dozen new dresses, street festivals, local farmers markets, The Burke Gilman Trail. This is well known in Seattle, approximately 60 miles of uninterrupted bicycle path starting from The Puget Sound wrapping its way along Lake Union and Lake Washington ending up at some local wineries and breweries. What you will not find is McDonalds, Wal-Mart, or suburban strip malls of any kind. Seattle is very much about their local shops and they have reason to be proud of them.There is a new grocery store that will be completed by the end of 2009 that is two blocks from this house. Once that is completed I think renting a car to stay here is unnecessary since you can take the bus - lines 17, 18, 15 to downtown or just about anywhere else. You can also check out zipcars which has a car two blocks from the house. They rent cars by the hour and make it really easy for those occasions when you do need a car.While we stayed here we enjoyed sailing at Windworks Sailing Center, Rowing on Lake Union - lessons are offered year round, over a dozen parks for the kids, Woodland Park zoo, Numerous trips to downtown Seattle, an almost everyday walk to downtown Ballard, a 2 day excursion to Victoria Canada, the beach at Golden Garden Beach Park - 1/4 mile away, Cupcake Royal - lavender and salted caramel were our favorites, The Tall Grass Bakery, and last but not least Café Besalu – better than if you were in Italy or France. Go early, there is usually a line.Having lived in Seattle before, people enjoy the outdoors year round as it never gets that cold. For those worried about the rain, dont. Seattle enjoys summer

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