The Carlson, a modern side-by-side in Carlson Park

Welcome to

Smalling BNB

The north half of a modern side-by-side in Carlson Park, eight minutes from downtown Culver City.

Front door code

5108#

More in Getting In

Network

Carlson-North

More in Wi-Fi

Password

vinton-4218-north

More in Wi-Fi

Arrival

The Home

Your Stay

The Area

Departure

Welcome

A short hello and what to expect

Welcome to Smalling BNB. You have the north half of a 2019 side-by-side on a quiet street in Carlson Park — your own front door, your own patio, and a shared wall with a very tolerant retired couple on the south side.

You are eight minutes on foot from downtown Culver City and about the same from the Metro. Everything you need should be in this book, and if it is not, text me. I would much rather answer than have you guessing.

Check-in
From 4:00 pm
Check-out
By 11:00 am
Your host
Dana — (310) 555 0142
Address
4218 Vinton Ave, Culver City
The dining table, which doubles as the deskThe north unit from the street

Getting In

Door code, keys and parking

Front door code
5108#
Which door
North unit — the black door, left
Parking
Driveway, left side only
Street parking
Permit zone — do not risk it

Finding the right half

  1. Both halves look identical from the street. Yours is the one on the left as you face the building, with the black door and the lemon tree.
    The north unit from the street
  2. The keypad is on the handle. Tap it once to wake it, enter the code, then press #.
  3. Pull the door toward you slightly as you turn — the weather stripping is new and still stiff.

Wi-Fi

Network name and password

Network
Carlson-North
Password
vinton-4218-north
Speed
About 500 Mbps down

Fibre, and it is genuinely fast — people work from here all the time. The router is in the hall cupboard if it ever needs a restart, but I would text me first.

The dining table is the best desk in the house. The patio has signal but the afternoon sun makes a laptop screen useless from about two o’clock.

The dining table set up for work

House Rules

The few things we ask

Four things, and they are all about the shared wall rather than the house.

  • Quiet 10pm to 8am. Culver City enforces its noise ordinance and the neighbours will call before I hear about it.
  • No smoking or vaping anywhere, including the patio. It goes straight through the vents to the south unit.
  • Maximum four guests overnight, as booked. No parties, ever — this is a residential street and I would lose the permit.
  • Shoes off past the entry mat. White oak floors, and they mark.

Kitchen

Coffee, dishwasher, what to help yourself to

Everything in the pantry and the fridge door is yours — oil, vinegar, salt, spices, coffee. The induction hob is fast and unforgiving, so start lower than feels right.

The kitchen island and induction hob

Coffee

  1. Beans in the sealed jar, grinder beside it. Setting 14 for the pour-over, 8 for espresso.
  2. Kettle has a temperature dial — 96°C. It clicks off by itself.
  3. Filters are in the drawer below. There is decaf in the tin at the back if you want it.

Dishwasher

  1. Pods live under the sink. One in the door tray, straight in, no unwrapping.
  2. Press ECO. It runs almost silently for about two hours, which matters with the shared wall.
  3. It chimes twice when finished. You do not need to empty it before you leave.

Laundry

Washer and dryer, step by step

Washer and dryer are stacked in the hall closet, behind the louvred doors. Detergent and dryer sheets are on the shelf above.

Washer and dryer

  1. One pod, straight into the drum before the clothes. Not the little drawer — that is for something else and I have never used it.
  2. NORMAL handles everything in about 45 minutes. There is a QUICK cycle at 20 if you are in a hurry.
  3. Clean the dryer lint screen before each load. It is the pull-out tray at the front and it makes a real difference.
    Washer and dryer in the hall closet

Heating & Cooling

Thermostat and fans

Thermostat
Hallway, by the closet
Comfortable
72°F day, 68°F night
Ceiling fans
Wall switch, each bedroom

Culver City sits in the marine layer, so mornings are grey and cool and by two o’clock the west side of the house is warm. The AC handles it, but opening the patio door and the front window makes a cross-breeze that usually does the job for free.

Evenings cool off fast, even in August. There are blankets in the ottoman.

Bathroom

Hot water, towels, toiletries

The bathroom, looking west

Fresh towels on the shelf, used ones on the rail. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash are refilled between every stay, so use as much as you like.

TV & Entertainment

Remotes, streaming, games

The living room and patio doors
Streaming
Netflix and Max — profile "Guest"
Speaker
Pairs as "Carlson North"

One remote does everything — the black one. Press the round button to wake it, then the app you want.

Please do not sign into your own accounts; it logs mine out and the next guest arrives to a login screen. There are board games and a stack of Criterion discs in the sideboard.

Rubbish & Recycling

What goes where, and collection days

Collection day
Wednesday, out Tuesday night
Blue bin
Recycling — paper, cans, plastic
Green bin
Food scraps and garden
Black bin
Everything else
Where
Side gate, north side

California requires food scraps to go in the green bin rather than the black one, so there is a small caddy under the kitchen sink. If you are unsure about something, black is the safe answer.

Safety

Alarms, extinguisher, first aid

Smoke and CO alarms
Hallway and both bedrooms
Fire extinguisher
Under the kitchen sink
First aid kit
Bathroom cabinet, top shelf
Breaker panel
Hall closet, above the dryer
Gas shut-off
Side gate, by the meter

Nearest exits are the front door and the patio slider. Both open from the inside without a key.

Emergencies & Contacts

Who to call, day or night

Emergency
911
Dana (host)
(310) 555 0142
Backup — Rey
(310) 555 0198
Culver City police, non-urgent
(310) 837 1221
Urgent care
Southern California Hospital, 5 min drive
Nearest ER
Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey, 12 min

Eat & Drink

Our honest local favourites

Culver City has become a serious food town in the last few years. These are the ones I actually go to, in the order I would send you.

Shops & Essentials

Groceries, pharmacy, hardware

Things To Do

Worth the trip

If you only do one thing, walk up the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook at sunset. Two hundred and eighty steps, twenty minutes, and on a clear evening you can see from downtown to the ocean.

Getting Around

Transit, taxis, bike hire

Metro E Line
Culver City Station — 9 min walk
To downtown LA
About 35 min on the E Line
To Santa Monica
About 20 min on the E Line
Buses
Culver CityBus 1 and 6, Big Blue Bus 12
LAX
20 min without traffic, 45 with
Metro E Line at Culver City StationBikes at the Ballona Creek path

The Metro E Line runs every ten minutes at peak and every twenty in the evening, until about midnight. Get a TAP card from the machine on the platform, or just tap a contactless card straight on the reader — that is easier and the same fare.

There are two bikes in the side gate and the key is on the hook by the door. Helmets on the shelf above. The Ballona Creek path starts four blocks away and runs uninterrupted to the beach in about twenty-five minutes, which is the single best thing about staying here.

Checking Out

Time, keys, and the short list

Check-out
By 11:00 am
Late check-out
Sometimes possible — just ask
Door
Pulls shut and locks itself

Nothing elaborate, and please do not strip the beds — the cleaners would rather do it themselves.

  • Start the dishwasher if there is anything in it
  • Bag up any food you are leaving, or take it with you
  • Set the thermostat to 78°F so it is not cooling an empty house
  • Close the patio slider and check it latched
  • Pull the front door firmly behind you
The main bedroom