Cottage du Crépuscule Serein – Vue sur la Baie de San Francisco - El Cerrito

The perfect urban oasis – artists, writers, creators, meditation retreat.

🌿…Since the thing perhaps is to eat flowers and not to be afraid. - e.e. cummings 🌿

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.

Sip wine on the flowering patio or catch a stunning sunset on the small hill ( 2 min hike ) right behind the house.

Off street parking on our long driveway or free street parking, just in front of our property.
🅿️ 🚗

Uber and Lyft are recommended if you don’t have a car.

Fast Fiber Optic internet. 🛜

The cottage is tucked away in the foothills of El Cerrito Natural Reserve. Beautiful hiking trails are starting in your own backyard, offering stunning Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco skyline, and Bay views everywhere you turn. Perfect for daily hikes, meditation, and taking in the stunning sunsets over Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, and Mount Tam.

Perfect for people who love experiencing nature at their doorstep!

Flower state of mind!🌿🦋

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 or a 30 min gorgeous ferry ride from Richmond Marina.

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!
Registered guests only.

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 plenty and it’s free.

Yes, we are Certified Wildlife Habitat and
Certified Butterfly and Bee friendly garden!

PARKING is a breeze - back up on our long driveway OR plenty of 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 hike )

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.

Our Serene Sunset Cottage is situated on a beautiful natural reserve, offering a unique connection to the surrounding environment. While we maintain regular monthly pest control services and diligently clear spiders and cobwebs, harmless spiders and occasional cobwebs may still be present due to our location within a natural setting. For guests accustomed to urban environments who may be uncomfortable with encountering spiders, we recommend considering alternative accommodations to ensure a comfortable stay. Our guests understand having nature at your doorstep brings some animal encounters like different type of birds, deer, foxes, geckos and occasionally ants and spiders.

ACCESS:
Guests have access to the entire 1 bedroom, stand - alone cottage, sitting on a 5000 sq.ft garden lot, nestled in the El Cerrito Natural Preserve hills - with spectacular views of Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay and city skyline from the hill behind, 2 - 3 min hike.

It offers serenity, complete privacy and all the amenities for a comfortable stay for max of 2 people at all times:

• 1 bedroom with a brand new, comfortable QUEEN bed with organic cotton sheets and city views

• well - equipped gourmet kitchen with everything you need to prepare a great meal

• dishwasher

• 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 siteu

• 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.

Thanks! Looking forward to having you!

• PLEASE Communicate clearly about any expectations or special needs you may have.

Self-sufficient, respectful, KIND and friendly, 5-star rated guests with previous stays ONLY!

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.

Please confirm the following information when sending a booking request, as it’s essential for both us and our insurance company to confirm your booking:

1. What brings you in town?

2. Total number of ALL guests?

3. Full NAMES ( first and last name ) and AGE of all guests who will be staying.

4. Your approximate CHECK-IN / CHECK-OUT times, to ensure we are on the lookout for your arrival and ensure a smooth check-in should you need any assistance.

• FYI, our check-in time is: 4 pm
• Our check-out time is: 11 am

***NOTE 🔻:

• EARLY CHECK-IN :

Subject to availability and a $25/hour fee paid via guest portal. Please request at booking or at least 48 hours in advance. Same-day or short-notice requests cannot be accommodated. Early check-in only available when we are away and not using our home ourselves.

• LATE CHECK-OUT :

Subject to availability and a fee $25/h. It needs to be approved by us in writing at least 48 hours prior.

5. ✅ REFUNDABLE $500 Refundable AIRBNB SECURITY DEPOSIT CREDIT CARD Policy:

We have $500 fully refundable standard credit card security deposit, placed 2 days prior arrival and released 2 days after if all is good and all house rules followed.

Guests need to authorize it via our guest portal on Hospitable which is an Airbnb Preferred Authorized Partner.

Your deposit is refundable in full unless there is a case of a damaged property or violation of house rules.
In such case, we reserved the right to communicate to you and Airbnb any damage and your deposit might be partially or fully claimed!

In rare incidents of severely damaged property including but not limited to an artwork, you might owe more than your deposit is worth.

By booking our home, you agree to authorize the temporary security deposit credit card via our management software Hospitable, Official Airbnb Preferred Partner.

****

Having the best of both worlds is PRICELESS:

• a gorgeous garden views in the front - enjoy the birds and the butterflies.

• a hiking trail in the back with stunning Gilden Gate Bridge / San Francisco Skyline / Bay views - take in those amazing golden sunsets. Hiking trails starting right off your own backyard.

• for the safety of our guests and our home, plus for insurance purposes, we have outdoor security monitoring driveways and point of entry, motion triggered recording video and audio 24/7 🎥


• For longer stays, we provide a STARTER PACK of essentials ( since we give a 15% discount). Guests are responsible for replenishing any additional items they may need. You can use instacart to order whatever you need for yourself and they will deliver it to you.

***
• Please note that California is experiencing a SEVERE DROUGHT and asking everyone to be MINDFUL and CONSERVE 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 September / October—that's when San Francisco enjoys its warmest weather.
Temperatures remain moderate year round: 51 - 65°F (10.5 - 18.3 °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.

• ALLERGIES DISCLAIMER:

Guests with allergies are responsible for bringing any necessary medications or supplies to manage their condition. Our property is a pet-free and smoke-free environment, and we use mostly organic, natural, and harsh chemical-free cleaning supplies. Bedding is 100% cotton, and we use scent-free laundry wash pods. However, we cannot guarantee that our property is free from allergens, including but not limited to dust, pollen, or other potential triggers. While we maintain thorough cleaning protocols, we do not provide specialized allergen-free environments. By booking, you acknowledge that you assume full responsibility for managing your allergies and that we are not liable for any allergic reactions or related issues during your stay. Please carefully assess the suitability of our property for your needs before making a reservation.

***

🦋 For longer stays 7+ night, we provide a STARTER PACK of essentials. Guests are responsible for replenishing any additional items they may need as described in our listing. You can use instacart to order whatever you need for yourself and they will deliver it to you or purchase from nearby stores.

🦋Bed Sheets and towels refresh?
You are welcome to use our laundry and refresh your own sheets and towels or hire our cleaning service for $150. Ask for scheduling.


Check-out our other listings below, some are in the same location. In case, you need to have a few co-workers or a big family to stay together, ask us about it:

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