Come make memories at this one-of-a-kind oasis in the middle of the most entertaining areas in Houston. Close to parks, trails, restaurants and bars, you'll be amazed at the location! Enjoy time by the pool with your family, grilling and watching TV from the hot-tub. Once it gets dark, fire up the fire-pit and projector for a fun outdoors movie experience! Rainy or too hot outdoors? Enjoy a ping-pong tournament in the air-conditioned garage, or retreat inside to enjoy the plush amenities! About the House and the Neighborhood: I have lived and loved this house since I moved into it on February 2014. Back then, the neighborhood wasn’t what it is today, but it had a lot of potential! I’ve seen Shady Acres grow from a quirky up-and-coming section of the Heights to THE entertainment hub inside the loop. Today, the house is located within walking distance from breweries, bars, cafes, restaurants and even a Bingo Hall (on Thursday evenings). The fantastic location of the property also gives you access to bike and walking trails, both on TC Jester and on Nicholson Street, both less than half-a-mile away. We even have what is considered one of the best Hot Chicken restaurants in Houston on our street, Mico’s Hot Chicken! I hope you have an opportunity to enjoy the neighborhood along with the house – it really has become a special place for me which I look forward to sharing with you! As I hope you’re able to tell during your stay, I have put a lot of thought into the house during the past 10 years. As many houses are to their owners, this house became a passion project for me. As such, I focused on turning the garage into usable space year-round, as Houston has a very long rainy season, and a very hot, ~8 month-long summer. After the first summer in the house, I started dreaming of building a pool, and ultimately designed and had the pool built for the summer of 2016. I wanted the back yard to be functional for lounging by the pool, while having enough space for pets and entertaining. With outdoor living in mind, the house went through an indoor and outdoor refresh in late 2023 and early 2024, during which I put in breakfast-bar-style countertops in the patio, set up a TV by the hot tub for daytime viewing, and a projector on the patio, for after-dark entertainment. I’ve tried to think of my experience as an avid traveler and user of home-sharing sites, to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for you and your guests. This is my only property, and my objective is to make sure that you, as my guest, have such a fantastic experience, you plan your next Houston visit with me! About the Space ** The house doesn’t have a “name” yet, as I’d like to decide on one based on my guests’ feedback. As such, if you have a recommended name, please send it to me. I’ll select my favorite recommendation from the first 10 recommendations, and will award that guest with a 25% discount on their next stay. Highlights - Walk to Heights Restaurants and Bars - Less-than 10-minute drive to Downtown, Washington and Galleria - 2750 sq ft of interior space - Pool, Hot Tub and Outdoor toilet - Firepit and Grill - Outdoor TV and Projector - Air-Conditioned Garage with Ping Pong Table - 6-Car Parking on Private Driveway - DirectTV, Netflix & Hulu on every screen - Dedicated children’s playroom, high-chair, bassinet/crib combo - Laundry Room - Bathroom Supplies, Cleaning Supplies and Pantry Basics - Keurig Coffee Machine + Drip Coffee Maker - Waffle Maker, Toaster, Rice-Cooker, Air Fryer + more! This Hidden Gem in Shady Acres is a two-story Craftsman style stand-alone home nestled 3 blocks from the busy entertainment scene on 19th and 20th streets. The home has 2750 sq ft of interior space, including the garage, with an additional 300 sq ft of covered patios (entrance and backyard), with high ceilings throughout. You and your guests will have access to the entire house and all of its amenities, except for 2 owner’s closets, one in the garage and one in the master bedroom. The house has a 50ft long driveway that can fit 6 sedan-style cars, or 4 half-ton pick-up trucks, as well as free street parking. From the front of the house, you will gain entry to the house via a key in an electronic lockbox attached to the front-gate. The front-entrance is shortly past the gate, as is the direct path to the secluded back-yard oasis. From the inside of the house, you will have access to the garage, which will be set up for entertainment. If, alternatively, you’d like to drive your car inside, please let me know ahead of time, so I can appropriately rearrange the space. You will be able to exit the house through the garage, and can close the garage via the keypad, but will need to enter the home through the front-door upon your return. Once inside the house, you’ll notice the first floor is 1050 sq ft of open-concept space which includes a very roomy Living Room, with an oversized sectional couch that seats 8 comfortably, stand-up desks and seating behind the couch for 4 guests, plus a dedicated corner work-station. The downstairs also has a central Dining Room with a large barnyard style dining table and seating for 8, easily accessible from the fully-stocked kitchen. In the kitchen, you’ll find everything you need to prepare a meal, including an air-fryer, to make quick yummy snacks. If you’re traveling with your little ones, you’ll find child-friendly dining ware in the kitchen, board games in the living room, a crib in the Master bedroom and a dedicated children’s playroom upstairs. Downstairs, you’ll also find a half-bath, just below the staircase to the second floor, where the bedrooms and the children’s playroom are. As soon as you walk upstairs, you’ll find yourself in the center of the 1300 sq ft second floor, where the children’s playroom is. Down a small hall, you’ll walk past the laundry room, where we keep extra towels and linens for you and your guests, to get to the HUGE Master Suite. In the Master, you’ll find an adjustable Tempurpedic bed and blackout curtains on all the windows, to ensure a restful night’s sleep. The room is equipped with a 70” TV, a 2-chair reading nook, and access to a grand bathroom with both a soaking tub and a freestanding shower. The master bedroom is set up with a travel crib, for when you’re traveling with a little one, and can be set up with an additional double-sized mattress, to accommodate more than 6 guests. The upstairs has 2 additional Queen-bed guest rooms, one of which has a dedicated work-space. Both rooms have huge walk-in closets. The two additional guest rooms share the upstairs guest bathroom, which, like the Master, will have bath supplies and towels for you and your guests. Also upstairs is the laundry-room, where you’ll find a stacked washer and dryer, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, additional towels, linens and pillows. There are 4 outdoor areas – the garage, the two covered patios and the backyard, where the pool and hot-tub are located. The garage has an Air Conditioning unit that will cool the 400 sq ft space off in less than 20 minutes, so you can enjoy playing ping-pong or any other indoor activity, comfortably, in the heat of summer. The small front-door covered patio has seating for 2 people to enjoy their morning coffee away from a crowd. The back-yard covered patio is set up with a comfortable outdoor couch, a 6-person breakfast-bar eating area for you and your guests, and a large cooler for you to keep your beverages in while in the back yard (ice-packs are provided and found in the kitchen’s freezer). Finally, the backyard houses an 22,000 gallon pool (5.5ft deep) and 8-person hot-tub (that goes up-to 104F), in front of a 55” TV for when you cannot miss the game, but want to enjoy the Texas heat. The pool has a sun-tanning ledge with water-loungers, with additional lounge chairs to be found in the pool-shed. The backyard also has a regulation dart-board set up, with professional steel-tipped darts for you to enjoy the game. Please be careful, as the darts are sharp! Once it gets dark, the back-yard becomes your own personal outdoor movie theater, with a hidden 100” projector screen that can be viewed from the pool, or enjoyed in front of the firepit. The backyard also houses a full-sized grill (please clean it after use), and an outdoor toilet. Pool and Hot-Tub Operation I want you to enjoy this property to the fullest, and as such, I will be providing access for you to control the heating function for the pool and hot-tub. I just ask that you be judicious in turning it on and off. The hot-tub takes anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes to get to temperature, with the pool taking anywhere between 4 and 12 hours during non-winter months. During winter months, when the temps are below 50F, it takes several days for the pool to get to temperature, so please heat just the hot-tub during your stay. * From the app you will be able to operate the pool, the hot-tub, overall temperature of water, two water features and the pool and hot-tub lights. When the pool was built, an air bubble system was installed, but due to the constant debris falling from the tree two properties down, and clogging the in-floor air-ports, the feature is permanently disengaged. Don't worry, you won't miss it - the pool has 12 powerful jets throughout! * You will also have access to the automated light system for the outside of the house, via a second app, although, I'd recommend leaving the majority of the system on it's schedule. The app will allow you to control the overhead string lights that light up the back-yard. Back-Yard Safety The pool does not have a dedicated enclosure, other than the fence for the entire property. Per Harris County regulations, the front-gate has a child-lock on the top-of-the-gate, which you’ll need to disengage to gain entry to the house. Once on the property, it will be your responsibility to ensure your party is safe in and around the pool. If you have children, please make sure they have the appropriate flotation devices for their safety, and keep an eye on them at all times. Pets are not allowed in the pool. The back-yard is turfed, and the sun in Texas is VERY HOT. Please make sure you are wearing the appropriate footwear while walking in the back-yard, or else you could hurt your feet. I have provided a mobile (but heavy) 12-foot awning and an 8-foot umbrella, so you can provide shade for you and your party during your stay. Wear plenty of sunscreen! I have set up a darts-board outside by the pool and have provided steel-tipped darts, so you can play. Please exercise caution playing, as the darts are very sharp and could hurt you, your pets and your children. Maintenance and Cleaning The house has scheduled pest-control visits once-a-month, and unfortunately, we do not determine when that may be – the pest company lets us know 2 days ahead. If they will be visiting during your stay, I will let you know. They won’t bother you, but will spray the outside and be on their way. The pool and hot-tub are maintained every Monday by our pool company. James is our pool guy – if you bump into him, say hi! He usually cleans and treats the pool within 45 minutes, and is on his way. Once every 2 weeks, either myself or a yard maintenance crew comes to do light yard-work and clean-up. However, we live next to a giant tree 2 properties down, that molts year-round. As such, you may find leaves and other organic debris around the property. If it is too much of a bother, please let me know and I will address the issue personally. Our professional cleaning staff are dedicated vacation rental property cleaners, and will show up at the house no later than 15 minutes after our agreed-upon check-out time. At the start and end of every service, they take a 5-minute video of the house, to show the state before and after their work. If upon arrival, you find anything not to your liking, I will work with you to personally address the issue. ** For any cleaning you may need/want to do during your stay, I provide cleaning supplies, vacuum, mop and broom Pet Policy and Considerations I LOVE pets, and have a Bernese Mountain Dog that has loved every inch of this house. I invite you to bring your pet along (dogs and cats only) on your visit. I charge $100 per stay for your pet, that includes, upon request, dog-bowls, a dog-bed, and a kennel, in case you need it. The house has a small (20-lbs or less) pet-door to the patio. For stays longer than 1 week, on a per-request basis and for a $50 fee, I can set-up an inside/outside kennel, that will allow a sub-20lb pet access to the outdoors, but still keep them safe within an outdoor enclosure. ** Please do everything possible to keep pets off the furniture and beds. The cleaning staff will determine if pet-related cleaning requires additional time to sanitize the space. Any additional costs as a result will be passed onto the guest. Safety This part of town is very safe – I have never had any safety issues, other than an occasional package being stolen, if left outside the gate. Nevertheless, I have 4-cameras throughout the property – a doorbell camera, one overlooking the driveway, one monitoring the backyard, and one in the garage, pointed at the garage door. Upon your arrival, I will turn off the garage and backyard cameras to give you and your party privacy. However, please feel free to cover and/or turn those two cameras around as well. The gate to the property has a secondary, county-enforced child-lock, about 4.5ft high, and reachable from the outside, by reaching over the top of the gate. The house has smoke detectors throughout, two carbon monoxide detectors (one on each floor), 2 fire extinguishers (one in the kitchen, under the sink and one in the master bathroom, under the sink), and a fire-escape ladder under the sink in the Master bathroom. Home Provisions - Toilet paper (rolls on holders + 3 extras) - Paper Towels (roll on holder + 1 extra) - Tissues throughout the house - Plastic trash bags (for inside and outside) - Coffee (8 Keurig coffee pods) - Spices and Sugar - Shampoo, conditioner, body gel and hand soap - Laundry detergent and dryer sheets - Dishwashing liquid and dishwasher pods