Beautiful, Sunny, Furnished Room in Berkeley Home 

I had a great time at Sunah's and Barry's place. I stayed in room I, which is huge and has light coming in from 3 sides, which is very nice in summer. The whole house is super clean and nicely decorated with little pieces of art everywhere. I discovered new ones every week. The neighborhood is save, quite and is close to Bus, BART and the probably best super market in town. The best part about this place though are Barry and Sunah, two lovely, funny and smart people. It was always a pleasure to hangout and chat with them about different countries, the US, food, alcoholic beverages, life and everything in between. A golden nugget in Berkeley.
--F.H., Room I, Fall 2009

I really enjoyed my 6-week stay at Barry's and Sunah's. I had a quiet, comfortable room that was perfect to get my work done. We had a great time together, discussing Belgium, the USA, chocolates, beer, wine, and much more. I will always remember the nice dinners we cooked together and I am grateful that I had such a welcoming home here. Thank you!
--S.F., Room II, Summer 2009

My room was clean and comfortable and had lots of light and was very private. The backyard is beautiful and in the summer there are delicious plums. Sunah and Barry made me feel very welcome. On my first day Sunah was kind enough to pick me up from the BART station and, after I got settled, took me on a tour of the area to help me get oriented to Berkeley. Sunah and Barry were always very helpful when I had a question about the house, or the neighborhood, or the area. Sunah and Barry are great conversationalists, and I really enjoyed chatting with them. I had a great summer.
--M.M., Room I, Summer 2009

I had a great stay in the cottage this past spring. Sunah and Barry are wonderful hosts, and the cottage itself is a great space to spend some time. The bedroom is cozy, the kitchen is bright and fun, and the garden outside is a great place to take meals when the sun is shining (and in Berkeley that's fairly often). I wasn't familiar with the Ashby area before my stay, but kept finding more and more great little shops and restaurants... all in all, a great little home in a great little area -- I was sad to leave!
--E.M., Cottage, Spring 2009

At 1623 Julia Street you can find three hidden jewels of Berkeley: Sunah, Barry, and a very nice room where I was lucky to stay for one semester. I was directed to Sunah and Barry's by a friend, who thought the place was so good that I shouldn't even bother looking for anything better. He was right. As soon as you enter the house, you get a warm feeling, you know somebody is thoughtfully taking care of it, infusing it with her personality and experiences, but making sure everybody feels comfortable. This can rarely be found in a house where guests come and go continuously. And at the same time, when you live here you discover that you can have your very own space, and be left alone if you need it. I wrote part of my thesis here, and it was very helpful to have that privacy, and still know that Sunah and Barry would be there to chat, have a beer, or play games, whenever I needed it. I really enjoyed my stay here.
--R.A., Room I, Spring 2009

I had a great stay in the cottage this past spring. Sunah and Barry are wonderful hosts, and the cottage itself is a great space to spend some time. The bedroom is cozy, the kitchen is bright and fun, and the garden outside is a great place to take meals when the sun is shining (and in Berkeley that's fairly often). I wasn't familiar with the Ashby area before my stay, but kept finding more and more great little shops and restaurants... all in all, a great little home in a great little area -- I was sad to leave!
--E.M., Cottage, Spring 2009

I consider myself exceptionally lucky to have stumbled across the online advertisement for Sunah and Barryıs Julia Street house; I cannot imagine a nicer place to spend my 3 months in Berkeley. My room was large, bright, quiet, and comfortable, perfect for either relaxing or getting a bit of work done. Being 5 minutes' walk from the BART and only 35 minutes' walk from UC Berkeley, Julia Street couldnıt be more ideally located. Furthermore, my housemates, both permanent and transitory, were kind, respectful, and remarkably easy to get along with. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here.
--A.C., Room II, Winter 2008 / 2009

Looking for a great room in a quiet neighborhood with almost all the amenities (butler unfortunately not included)? Check this out. The room itself is great, plenty of light and a great breeze in the afternoon. The rest of the house is comfortable and character oozes from every room. Landlord has a flair for the artistic and it shows. Backyard has been completely re-done and is fantastic. Spent many an afternoon sitting in the garden reading. Permanent occupants are lively and welcoming. A golden opportunity for anybody looking for a private room in Berkeley.
--M.G., Room II, Summer 2008

Several years ago, while looking for a place to live in Berkeley, I had the immense pleasure of stumbling upon the house on Julia Street. My primary concern was that my new home be close to the UC Berkeley campus, but the studio apartment far exceeded my expectations. With a large kitchen, lots of windows and plenty of closet space, it was exactly what I needed and much more. The large yard and friendly neighborhood were added bonuses. Sunah was warm and inviting and made me feel right at home. And Barry always made sure my trash was out and my mail was delivered on time. Both of them were very kind and left me with many fond memories. Thank you for giving me such a lovely place to call home!
--L.D., Cottage, Fall 2006 through Spring 2008

During my search for housing in Berkeley, I began to feel as if I had to pick from many equally unappealing and depressing options. The last place I had an appointment to see was Sunah and Barry's place on Julia street. As soon as I walked through the door, I knew it was where I wanted to rent. The house is beautiful. Sunah and Barry are perfect hosts. The house is perfect for getting some work done if you just need to be left alone. On the other hand, it was wonderful that I was regularly invited to the weekly games night, out to eat or to the farmers' market because I moved from out of town and knew no one at first. Also, Sunah and Barry are very experienced with house guests and have made it very easy to live in their house without stepping on anyone's toes. I'll miss living here.
--C.A., Room I, Fall 2007 through Spring 2008

Coming to Berkeley from half way across the country I had to rent only on the basis of pictures up on the website. After having heard all sorts of horror stories about renting in Berkeley, I was expecting the worst when I showed up fresh off an airplane, bags in hand, at 1623 Julia. That I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. The house is amazing, and Sunah and Barry are the easiest people to get along with. Everything is set up to make life as easy and smooth as possible for everyone involved. The location is hard to beat, Berkeley bowl is a stone's throw away, and the Ashby BART is also just a few blocks. You'd think with the location, the place would be noisy but sitting in your room you'd have to strain to hear anything but birds twittering.

All in all, when (it's not a matter of if) I visit Berkeley next, this is the first place I will be looking up to rent.
--R.V., Room II, Spring 2008