Description

Our House

Our house was originally built in 1910. We've been here since 1987. We re-built our garden suite into a short-term rental in 2011 and had visitors up to 2020. We recently improved the sound separation between the Garden Suite and the Main Floor of the house by adding more sound insulation and a better main floor surface. We continue to improve the suite.

The Garden Suite is 56 square metres in size, and is fully-furnished and equipped. Some toys and baby-seats are also available.

The space consists of a main Living area connected to a Dining area and Kitchen, adjacent to the Entrance from the street. The Living area has an electric fireplace, as well as a very comfortable sofa-bed (queen size, by American Furniture) and other furniture. Also in the Livingroom are two comfortable chairs, and a TV (serviced through internet and cable).

The Kitchen has an electric stove, dishwasher, refrigerator; and is fully-equipped for making all meals. A Dining table is adjacent to the Kitchen.

A short hallway leads from the Living area to the Bedroom, which also has a queen-sized bed, side tables, with headboard/shelf, reading lights and reading material. There is a wardrobe for hanging and storing clothes. The Bathroom opens off the short hallway. It contains a bath/shower, fitted with grab-bars for easy access. There is plenty of hot water. We also have equipment such as hair dryer, iron and ironing board.

At the back (north) end of the Living area, a door and window open onto an outdoor patio with trellis roof, with table and chairs for outdoor relaxation. From the Patio, there is access to laundry space (washer and dryer) through a sliding door. The Patio also opens out to the back yard, with lawn and garden

Our Neighbourhood

The area in which we live is Kitsilano. This name derives from Siam Khatsalanough, the leader of the Indigenous community that holds Aboriginal Title to the whole area, which occupied the area just east of Kitsilano Beach up to 1912, and which is now developing that same area into apartment buildings. Smaller settlements from the same Indigenous community were located near the foot of McDonald St. (directly north of our place), at Jericho Beach and at several other locations in the area. A network of trails once connected all these communities through the forest.

These days, Kitsilano is characterized by many houses that line the streets, commercial streets such as Broadway and Fourth Avenue, many parks with play equipment, tennis courts, play fields and trees. Access to the waterfront is open to the public along the whole shore, with much of the shoreline being parks, and with access at many of the street ends.

In the immediate area of our place, are many businesses along Broadway and Fouth Avenue. There are stores, groceries, restaurants and a whole variety of other businesses.

Public Transportation routes run along all the arterial streets near us, providing easy access to Downtown, UBC, Granville Island, the Airport.

Bicycle Routes are provided in an extensive network in the whole of Vancouver. These provide safe biking from our location to all parts of the City, UBC, the parks, beaches.

We have full internet access from the suite, as well as cable TV.

We are not 100% wheelchair accessible, but almost.