Exchange with this member
San Francisco, the City by the Bay
Welcome to San Francisco, the City by the Bay! I hope you will feel relaxed, comfortable, and at home here.
I live in an historic neighborhood of San Francisco. My flat is across the street from the cable car barn, and therefore not at all appropriate for people who are seeking a quiet place to stay -- it is VERY noisy here all hours of the day and night. My block is one of very few in the city with active cable car lines traversing all four sides of the block. You can catch the cable car right outside my building!
I live in a blended residential-commercial neighborhood of San Francisco in a nine-unit building with friendly neighbors. It is an intergenerational neighborhood -- you are just as likely to see an 80- or 90-year-old lifelong resident walking to the market as you are to see a parent pushing an infant in a stroller, a middle-aged neighbor walking a dog, or a young professional walking to work in the morning or back home after a night of revelry. The sounds of cable cars running and/or being repaired are always present. I find all the sounds enlivening and invigorating, but if you are someone who requires quiet in order to sleep then my neighborhood would NOT be a good fit for you.
My cozy one-bedroom, one-bath flat is perfect for 1, 2, or 3 people to enjoy. It still retains its original 1912 hardwood floors and wainscoting. Its narrow bathroom (the toilet is conveniently situated in a separate room from the bathtub, shower, and sink) and itty bitty kitchen have been recently remodeled. In the kitchen, I have a toaster, gas oven, gas stove, coffee bean grinder, French press coffee pot, espresso machine, microwave, and Vitamix, in addition to standard kitchen utensils, cookware, dishes, and glassware. The ceilings are high - probably 11 feet - and the street-facing windows looking east let in loads of natural afternoon light. The unit has entirely separate living and dining rooms, which can be closed off from one another using the original 113-year-old wooden pocket doors. There is a small roof-top deck, as well, which is a great place to sit and relax in the mornings and evenings. The deck furniture is weather-beaten but still functional. My flat has ONE bedroom with ONE queen-size bed; a spare mattress which can be laid on the dining room floor; a sofa which can be used for sleeping; secured WiFi; and a smart TV in the living room on which to stream Acorn, Apple TV+, BritBox, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Samsung TV, and YouTube.
I hope you will feel relaxed, comfortable, and at home while you are here!
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. There is no dishwasher, washing machine, or tumble dryer in the building. I do laundry at the laundromat on my block. I wash my dishes by hand.
2. There are only two flat, level blocks in my neighborhood -- everything else is uphill or downhill (STEEP hills), so you will get great exercise while you stay here. This is not a neighborhood for easy, flat-level walking.
3. Unfortunately, because there are 24 stairs from the street level up to the flat and no lift, this would not be a suitable exchange for anyone with physical limitations.
4. Sometimes I travel alone and other times I travel with friends or family members. If you and I discuss the possibility of an exchange, I will of course honor your wishes regarding which of my loved ones--if any--join me in the exchange.
Listing Overview
Property
- Bedrooms 1
- Sleeping Capacity 2
- Bathrooms 1
- Living Area 800 sq ft
- Total Area 800 sq ft
House rules
- Small children are welcome Yes
- Pets are welcome Yes
- Non-smoking house Yes
- Pet care wanted No
- Car necessary No
Exchange dates
| Exchange dates | Length of stay (nb of days) | Flexible |
|---|---|---|
| November 30, 2025 - November 30, 2027 | 1 months | Yes |
|
Open to considering exchange invitations of durations from two days up to a month. |
||
Exchange periods
| Earliest date | Latest date | Length of stay (nb of days) | Flexible dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Exchange period
1
|
Earliest date
2025/11/30
November 30, 2025
|
Latest date
2027/11/30
November 30, 2027
|
Length of stay (nb of days)
1
Months
|
Flexible dates
Yes
|
Neighborhood
About the neighborhood
I live in the part of San Francisco you most likely imagine when you think of the city a century ago, in a little valley between Nob Hill and Chinatown. There are a jewelry store, nail salon, pottery studio, and art studios/galleries on the block; a coffee shop and ramen bar around the corner; Chinatown and Nob Hill are each one block away in opposite directions; Russian Hill is 2 blocks north; the Fairmont Hotel is 3 blocks south; North Beach is 4 blocks west; Grace Cathedral is 4 blocks southeast; and it is a quick 15-minute walk to the financial district (not so quick coming back, as it is all uphill on the return!).
Check out my neighborhood's excellent Walk Score and Crime Grade: https://www.walkscore.com/score/1260-mason-st-san-francisco-ca-94108
There are loads of fabulous neighborhoods in San Francisco, but my sweet part of the city remains my favorite place to live!
That written, street parking in my neighborhood is AWFUL. Most people here don't own cars. If you do decide to rent a car and park on the street, you will have to move it every two hours between the hours of 8am and 9pm, except on Sundays. You will also need to be aware of street cleaning -- the fine for failing to move one's car during street cleaning is USD $87. Awful. There are two public garages 6 or 7 blocks from my flat where people usually park their cars when they visit me, but they can get expensive. Here is the info about the garages: https://www.sfmta.com/garages-lots/vallejo-street-garage and https://www.sfmta.com/garages-lots/north-beach-garage.
The best way to explore San Francisco in my opinion is by foot. San Francisco is a very walkable city, as long as you are able and willing to walk up and down some VERY steep hills. And once again, before considering exchanging homes with me, please make sure that you understand that my neighborhood is full of VERY STEEP hills.
If you'd like to cycle while here, there are two Bay Wheels docking stations within 5 blocks of my flat and a brand-new docking station 2 blocks away I haven't had a chance to check out yet. Bay Wheels rents both traditional bicycles and e-bikes. You'll either need to bring a helmet with you or purchase one while here in order to ride a bicycle around San Francisco. There are not many designated bike lanes and people here are not accustomed to many cyclists on the streets, so you must always imagine that you are invisible while cycling here: https://mtc.ca.gov/operations/traveler-services/bay-wheels-bike-share-program (The husband of an acquaintance was killed by an automobile driver who failed to see him when he was riding his bicycle in San Francisco... cycling in San Francisco is unfortunately not the safest way to get around.)
Taking the cable cars, Muni buses, and other public transport is an excellent option for getting around San Francisco -- there are two bus stops and four cable car stops within a block of my flat. All you need to do is purchase a Clipper card and you'll be on your way: https://www.sfmta.com/muni-transit and https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/index.do
There are loads of taxi/Uber/Lyft drivers in San Francisco, so that is always an option, but the rides can get expensive. The cable car also stops across the street from my flat ($9 per ticket one way). You can find info for the cable cars here: https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/muni/cable-cars
You can take the ferry from San Francisco to Sausalito, Tiburon, Angel Island, or Alameda, if you like -- the ferry rides themselves are lovely, and Sausalito, Tiburon, Angel Island, and Alameda are wonderful to explore on foot: https://visitsausalito.org/ferry-2/
You can also take the ferry from San Francisco to Angel Island (https://www.goldengate.org/ferry/angel-island-ferry/) and Alcatraz (https://www.cityexperiences.com/san-francisco/city-cruises/alcatraz/). You can easily walk the 1 and 1/4 mile to the ferry building (it's all downhill from my flat!), but walking back up to my flat from the ferry building will be a steep climb.
None of the 17-mile San Francisco Crosstown Trail goes through my neighborhood, but it is a really fun walk to experience several different neighborhoods and vantage points of San Francisco: https://crosstowntrail.org/
There are numerous green spaces and preserved wildlife habitats throughout San Francisco, several of which are less than two miles from my flat. Among my favorites and most frequented are
* Coit Tower, just under a mile from my flat - https://sfrecpark.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Coit-Tower-290
* Fort Mason, 1.3 miles from my flat - https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/fort-mason.htm
* The Presidio, 2.2 to 4.6 miles from my flat, depending on which part you want to visit (I walk it all!) - https://www.presidio.gov/
* The Palace of Fine Arts, 2.7 miles from my flat - https://palaceoffinearts.com/
* The Tunnel Tops @ The Presidio, 3 miles from my flat - https://www.presidiotunneltops.gov/
* Crissy Field, 3.3 miles from my flat - https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/crissy-field
* Golden Gate Park, 3.5 - 6.7 miles from my flat, depending on which part you want to visit (again, I walk it all!) - https://sfrecpark.org/770/Golden-Gate-Park
* Ocean Beach, 7 miles from my flat - https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/oceanbeach.htm
Nearest Airport: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
House amenities
Vehicles included in exchange
- Use/Exchange of car 0
- Number of bicycles 0
- Number of children's bicycles 0
- Number of electrical bicycles 0
- Use of boat 0
House essentials
House features
Instruments
Accessibility
References
Your exchange partner’s home satisfaction rating is 4.5, based on 14 references.
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Jane and her son Jeremy. It was a pleasure to have them as guests in my home. They are cheerful, thoughtful, creative, and kind, and both of them radiate joy and a zest for life. When we met for the very first time, I felt like I was reconnecting with friends I hadn't seen in years. They adapted easily and without complaint to the construction going on in the building and were exceedingly considerate of my neighbors. They took excellent care of my home -- when I returned, it looked precisely as I had left it. I recommend them as home exchange partners without hesitation and would welcome them back any time.
This exchange was better than expected. The host was the nicest, kindest and most considerate exchange partner I have ever worked with. She went out of her way to make sure we were well taken care of. Her apartment was immaculate. The location was perfect - near Chinatown, Knob Hill and Fisherman's Wharf. Cable cars ran right in front of her place - which was absolutely delightful. I could not recommend it enough. One of our best vacations ever!!!
Vesna is a wonderful person and home exchange partner. From our first written message exchange she was clear, direct, and compassionate in all her communication with us, which we very much appreciated. When we met Vesna in person when she came to San Francisco, we felt as if we were reconnecting with a long-time friend. Vesna was considerate of my neighbors while staying in my flat and took excellent care of my home. She is welcome to return any time. We have not yet had a chance to go stay in Vesna's home -- ours is an asynchronous exchange -- but we are very much looking forward to it.
KayMaria made me feel like at home. She even picked me up from the airport and showed me her house before leaving. Everything was as explained in KayMaria's house information brochure and it was easy to familiarize with her house. This was a really friendly relation and I can highly recommend KayMaria's place.
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Member since
2012
- 12 Exchanges made
Hello there. I am KayMaria, a 54-year-old Greek American educator, writer, and editor born and raised in Oakland, California and now living in San Francisco. I have traveled extensively in North America and Europe, as well as a bit in the Caribbean and South America, and have lived in other parts of the U.S.; York, England; and Athens, Greece. Through Intervac, I have completed 13 exchanges: Austria, Carlsbad (here in California), Colorado, Croatia, Cyprus, France (3x), Ireland (3x), Italy, Scotland, and Sweden. I have also stayed in dozens of people's homes throughout the world while caring for their animals through Trusted Housesitters. I am excited about the possibility of exchanging homes with you!
PLEASE NOTE: I often travel alone, but sometimes I travel with family or friends. When we discuss the possibility of exchanging homes, we can agree on who will actually do the exchange.
Destination Wishlist
- Open to any destination
