‘The earth laughs in flowers!’ ~ R.W. Emerson Live among the birds, butterflies and wild flowers! 🦋🦋🦋 Secluded, sunny, peaceful and private - our Cottage is the perfect sanctuary, nestled in El Cerrito Natural Reserve with amazing views of Golden Gate Bridge, golden hills and San Francisco Bay. Close to Berkeley 15 - 20 min drive. San Francisco is 30 - 50 min drive. Napa / Wine Country 45 - 60 min drive. Writers / Meditation retreat - peaceful, quiet, surrounded by nature. Private driveway! Our home is a serene, sunny, completely private, stand alone one bedroom cottage, sitting on a 5 000 sq ft garden lot, wrapped in greenery, flowers and bird songs. The perfect urban oasis. Easy parking on our long driveway or free street parking just in front of the house. 🚗🅿️ Uber and Lyft are recommended if you don’t have a car. The cottage is nestled in the foothills of El Cerrito Natural Reserve. Beautiful hiking trails are starting in your own backyard, offering stunning Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline & Bay views everywhere you turn. Perfect for daily hikes and meditation. Perfect for people who love experiencing nature at their doorstep! Pick your own Meyer lemons from the pollinator’s heaven garden, listen to the bird songs while relaxing with your favorite book in the hammock or hike the trails behind the house - here, nature is everywhere you turn. It's the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced city life, yet Berkeley is a short 20 min drive and San Francisco is just 16 miles away or a 30-50 min drive. It is designed with functionality in mind where nature meets modern, urban, sustainable living. Our primary goal was to minimize our footprint as much as possible, focusing on the outdoor living and being one with nature! It has a fast fiber optic internet 1000 mbps. Adults only accommodation. Not childproof. Max occupancy: 2 people at all times. Going to the city? We highly recommend taking the new Richmond Ferry ( 13 min drive or a $7-14 Uber ride ) rather than BART ( 5 min drive away) to get to San Francisco’s Embarcadero. It’s the most beautiful way to get into the city and once on the ferry, it takes only 20 min to the city, total of 30-40 min from our door. Parking is free. Yes, we are Certified Wildlife Habitat and Certified Butterfly and Bee friendly garden! PARKING is a breeze - on our long driveway or plenty street parking! It's located on a quiet residential street with gorgeous views of beautiful San Francisco city skyline, Golden Gate Bridge and the new Bay Bridge. The back garden offers a serene view of the El Cerrito hills and hiking trails are starting in your own backyard. It's close to Solano Ave, UC Berkeley, Berkeley downtown, Oakland, Emeryville, San Francisco, Marin and strategically located to reach Napa, Sonoma and the entire wine country within 50-60 min. Sip a glass of wine on the deck and take in on a gorgeous golden sunset over the San Francisco Bay or catch it from a bird point of view from the hill behind the house ( 2 min walk ) The feel is modern and warm with many wood accents and thoughtful touches. OUR GUESTS: Perfect for: ~ visiting UC BERKELEY professors or neighbors; ~ UC Berkeley students' visiting families; ~ Ph.D. students; ~ business professionals; ~ writer’s retreat; ~ artist’s retreat; ~ meditation / silent retreat; ~ relocating folks; ~ couples having a wonderful getaway; ~ or anyone that is looking for a place to stay in East Bay close to Berkeley, Oakland, Napa, etc. We are looking for KIND and loving folks only! Self - sufficient, respectful and friendly. PRIVACY: Our cottage is completely private. No shared walls, no other people on the premises. It's a stand alone little house. It's nestled in El Cerrito natural reserve. Enjoy our Certified Wildlife Habitat Garden / Certified Butterfly and Bee friendly sanctuary! ACCESS: Guests have access to the entire stand - alone cottage, sitting on a 5000 sq.ft garden lot, nestled in the El Cerrito Natural Preserve hill. It offers complete privacy and all the amenities for a comfortable stay: • 1 bedroom with a brand new, comfortable queen bed and city views • well - equipped gourmet kitchen with everything you need to prepare a great meal • a new bathroom with a bath tub and shower • living room with views • front patio with Bay views • backyard with hill views • smart 3D 65" Samsung TV ( you can stream your favorite content on Pandora, YouTube, Hulu; watch your shows on Netflix; 60+ local channels, HBO ) • welcome to use our laundry on site We provide plenty of cotton bedding and linens as well. • The best way to reach us is through the Airbnb messaging system. We reply usually within 5-10 minutes. •We are available on phone in emergency situations only. We respect each other's time and privacy! • PLEASE give us an idea about: 1. The purpose of your trip; 2. Who are you traveling with? We need first and last name of the people on the reservation. 3. Your approximate check-in / check-out time. Thank you! Looking forward to having you! • PLEASE Communicate clearly about any expectations or special needs you may have. THANK YOU! Have a wonderful stay! NEIGHBORHOOD: El Cerrito is a hidden gem in East Bay. Very peaceful neighborhood, quiet and close to Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco. Napa valley is about an hour away. We are located on a quiet, residential street and the house is nestled in the foothills of natural reserve. The views are breathtaking, the hiking trails are perfect for people who enjoy the outdoors. El Cerrito means "the little hill" in Spanish, and the town that is perched on the hill above San Francisco Bay offers easy access to Interstate 80 and Interstate 580 to Marin. Hillside homes along the curving streets deliver sweeping views of San Francisco and sunsets over the Golden Gate Bridge. El Cerrito's main shopping corridor is undergoing a rebirth, beginning with Rialto Cinemas Cerrito, which was restored from the former Cerrito Speakeasy Theater. Access to open space and parkland is extensive, with Arlington Park, Cerrito Vista Park, Hillside Natural Area, Huber Park, Poinsett Park, and Tassajara Park & Pottery Studio all nearby. The Ohlone Greenway is a popular trail with hikers and bikers. The University of California, Berkeley UC BERKELEY is several miles away, and two Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations, at El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte, make commuting easy. El Cerrito Plaza is a major shopping center housing grocery stores, restaurants, bookstores, a pharmacy, and smaller mom-and-pop stores. TRANSPORTATION: The closest BART station is about 5 min drive or 24 min walking distance. It's a beautiful walk actually, along vineyards and breathtaking views. Getting to UC BERKELEY by car: 20 min ; by public transit is about: 39 min We also recommend Uber and / or Lyft as a more affordable taxi alternative. Just download their app on your smart phone. They arrive within minutes. Going to the city? We highly recommend taking the new Richmond Ferry ( 13 min drive or a $7-14 Uber ride ) rather than BART ( 5 min drive away) to get to San Francisco’s Embarcadero. It’s the most beautiful way to get into the city and once on the ferry, it takes only 20 min to the city, total of 30-40 min from our door. Parking is free. Having the best of both worlds is PRICELESS: • a gorgeous view in the front - take in those amazing golden sunsets • a hiking trail in the back, starting right off your own backyard • for the safety of our guests and our home and for insurance purposes, we have outdoor security camera installed on the side-gate post • Please note that California is experiencing a SEVERE DROUGHT and asking everyone to be MINDFUL and CONSERVE WATER. We also installed drought tolerant plants and we are in process of building a rain catchment water system. California officials approved unprecedented emergency regulations that allow local law enforcement and water agencies to impose $500-a-day fines on residents and commercial water users who waste water. • NO A/C ( air-conditioning ) It’s very rare for the Bay tempretures to rise above 80• and the cool ocean breeze is our natural AC. House maintains 72• F - 74•F in summer months. We experience heat waves 1-2 times a year that last less than 3 days and nights are down to lower 60s. Our utility provider ask people who have an AC to set it to 78 or higher and conserve energy to prevent rolling blackouts since the grid can’t handle the energy demand. We manage those rare heat waves by opening our windows at night to cool the house down and we hit our favorite beaches during the day.. Air conditioning in San Francisco? In San Francisco, air conditioning is not present in many of the residences, offices, theaters as well as older, boutique style hotels as we have our own unique, natural air-conditioning - a constant cool ocean breeze and the fog rolling in the summer. WEATHER ADVISORY for San Francisco: Mark Twain is believed to have said, although not proven : “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Seasons in San Francisco don't necessarily follow universal trends. The city can often feel quite chilly, although the temperature rarely drops below freezing. Even when summer arrives, residents know not to leave the house in short sleeves until late summer—that's when San Francisco enjoys its warmest weather. Temperatures remain moderate year round: 51 - 65°F (10.5 - 18.3 °C). Late summer and fall are the most popular times to visit the city: 68 - 70°F (20 - 21°C). The period of warm weather is known as “Indian Summer," an annual miracle that San Franciscans look forward to all year long. The weather brings favorite festivals and events along with it. Summers generally range from 53 - 69°F (11.6 - 20.5 °C). Summer days often begin with fog which usually burns off by the afternoon. It rarely rains during summer months. Winters are mild. They are somewhat wet, but not unbearable: 46 - 48°F ( 7.7 - 8.8 °C). No matter the season, it is always SMART to DRESS in LAYERS and be prepared for sudden weather changes when in San Francisco Bay Area.