We rented this apartment in the summer of 2014 for about 2.5 months. We absolutely loved it.
This apartment ("apartment B") is on the first floor, with direct access to the patio/garden; there is another apartment on the first floor on the right side of the house, and a larger apartment on the second floor (for this "apartment C", see VRBO #489828).
The apartment was in perfect condition. The house had undergone a multi-year remodeling process, and its apartments have only been rented since fall 2013. So everything was basically new when we moved in. The apartment is very well equipped; everything is of very high standard (Miele dishwasher etc.). There are lots of kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies, a washer & dryer reserved exclusively for the apartment in a room nearby, a printer & scanner, and lots of other goodies.
The house has a very nice garden/patio in the back which is shared among the three apartments. It has a superb grill for nice BBQs.
What was really outstanding was the service and responsiveness of the landlord. Although the apartment was already in excellent shape when we arrived, she upgraded various aspects of the apartment during our stay, while fully respecting our privacy. When we had any questions or issues, she replied immediately (sometimes within minutes). We have never had a better experience with a landlord.
The location of the apartment is ideal. It is just off College Avenue, about two blocks from the Elmwood Cafe. The local library is about 2 minutes away. If you come with small kids, there are two nice playgrounds within a 5 minutes walking distance. Berkeley’s main campus is about 15-20 minutes walking distance (there is also a bus). If you arrive with a car and don’t get the parking spot in front of the house, the best parking option we found is to park your car a few blocks away at the Berkeley/Oakland border where there are less parking restrictions.
We have stayed in another apartment in the neighborhood before. This is by far our favorite.
Please note: As we arrived with a larger family, we actually rented apartments B & C of this house. So don't be surprised to find a somewhat overlapping review for apartment C (VRBO #489828).
