Meet DAVID & CAROLYN
Open minded, Adventurous, Helpful
We have a large house and usually have 2-3 student from other countries learning English living with us. These students are typically friendly and enjoy conversing with other travelers.
On a typical day...
I’m mostly at home/work from home.
When I host guests...
I’m helpful and hands on. I can show them where to go and help them get there.
Family Hobbies
Cycling, Running, Swimming, Mountain biking, Fitness, gym
Hosting guests since
2010
About the Homestay
- Welcomes
- Males
- Females
- Couples
- Families
- Students
Our home is in an historic district within the city limits of Chicago, but only 200 meters from Oak Park. We are also only 200 meters from access to public transportation. Our guests can use the Green Line train to arrive in downtown Chicago in 35 minutes. Our family enjoys physical fitness and cycling. We have extra bicycles, helmets, and locks for guests who would like to cycle to see the Frank Lloyd Wright homes and take advantage of what Oak Park offers.
As the title suggests, my wife and I run an urban farm that includes chickens and a small herd of dairy goats. We also have two dogs and three cats indoors. Our pets are friendly but do not bother guests who prefer no contact with animals. However, if you are allergic to pet hair our home would not be ideal for you. We also open our home to families with pets, with the understanding that if you bring a pet, the pet will sleep with you.
We have a college age son, and we usually have students from other cultures learning English staying with us. Our guests enjoy meeting interesting people from all over the world at our house. Every two weeks we have a game night on Sunday night. Our common places include a dining room with space for study during non-meal hours, the kitchen, our living room, and a large front porch during the warmer weather months.
Our room selection includes a third story with two single beds with room for another bed and a private bath and shower. Our second story rooms include one room with a single twin bed, and one room with two twin beds. All our rooms have chairs and desks.
Guests are welcome to use our washing machine. We ask that you bring your own detergent, compatible with high energy efficient machines. Since we are environmentally conscious, we do not own a clothes dryer. There are drying racks in all the rooms. We also have clothes lines for hanging clothes out in warmer weather.
Since we think life is best spent experiencing it for yourselves in the great city of Chicago or around a good meal and drink at our table, we do not own a TV. We do like good stories , and so we have group showings of movies on our somewhat large screen computer monitor in our parlor (when it is too dark to enjoy outside).
If you want to learn more about our urban farm, you can check out our website at Glennartfarm.com.
My Pets
2 Dogs, Cat
House Facilities
- Garden
- Laundry
- Parking
- Internet Access
- Air Conditioning
Bedrooms available for booking
About the Area
Our house is located in an historic and diverse neighborhood on the far West side of Chicago. We are two blocks from Oak Park and also two blocks from the Green Line. It takes about 35 minutes using public transportation to get to downtown Chicago from our home. We enjoy running and it is possible to run by several Frank Lloyd Wright homes on an 4 miles run or bike ride from our house. We have extra bikes, helmets, and locks which are available for our guests. Oak Park also offers a cinema and many good dining options, several offer outdoor seating in the warmer weather.
We also have also have an indoor community pool which can be used for no charge within two blocks of our house. Our house is two blocks from the Austin branch of the Chicago library and 1.5 miles from the Oak Park library.
Local Area Facilities
- Bus Stop
- Train station
- Hospital
Meals
Hosts can offer a complimentary light breakfast at their discretion. All other meals, including a full breakfast, might incur an additional cost, if offered. Meals and any additional payment should be arranged directly with your host.
Included in the stay
- Complimentary Light Breakfast
- Use of Kitchen
Available on request at an extra cost
- Full Breakfast
- Half Board
- Full Board
- Packed lunch
Diet Type available on request
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Coeliac
- Kosher
- Lactose Intolerant
- Halal
House Rules
No smoking and no vaping on our property. We have a lovely fountain just down the block with benches that is relaxing for sitting and smoking in the warmer weather.
Remember that the common areas are shared, so please maintain a clean environment.
After your breakfast, please clean the area, including table, stove, dishes, etc.
If you are going to cook, please enjoy your meal, and clean up after yourself, such as “pots, pans, utensils, dishes, and do not forget "THE STOVE"
Please enjoy your meals in either the kitchen or the dining room. Dining on the front porch is also recommended in the warmer weather.
Smoking Rules
Your host is a non-smoker.
Smoking is not allowed.
6 Reviews
October 2017
David et carolyn on été très acceuillant et vraiment gentil de ce côté là, mais la chambre n'était pas du tout comme sur les photos misent sur le site.... j'étais très surprise. La chambre n'avait pas de porte mais des rideaux avec une espèce de plaque de bois pour éviter que les chats rentrent dans la chambre..
A part ça, le coin était sympa.
Merci pour l'acceuil !Host reply
Here is the translation from two French guests staying with me.
David and Carolyn were very welcoming and very cool, but the room was not like in the picture on the website. I was surprised. The room didn't have a door, just curtains. With a plate of wood to prevent the entry of the cat into the room. Without this the neighborhood was cool and thanks for all the welcoming.
It was good to meet you Anais. Thank you for your kind words. I apologize for our misunderstanding about the room. In my reply to you I did say it was a different room. I should have sent you pictures and let you know that the room did not have a door. I hope you enjoyed your time in Chicago. Peace, David
October 2017
Excelent people!!! I was so very comfortable....really close to dowtown!! 100 % recommended!!
September 2017
Living with David and Carolyn was an experience I will treasure. They created a welcoming, warm and fun atmosphere that enhanced my summer greatly.
June 2017
Had a fantastic stay with David and Carolyn while my teenaged daughter and I visited Chicago for a few days. We loved the urban farm location. David and Carolyn were friendly and gracious hosts, and the other guests were wonderful as well. My daughter enjoyed being able to walk the dog and help with the goats during our stay in the city. The home is an older house in a nice neighborhood, and very conveniently located near the Green line (less than a 10 minute walk to the station). From there it's just 30 minutes to the museums and parks downtown. We'd definitely stay again. An urban farm setting may not be for everyone, but it was perfect for us!
June 2017
David and Carolyn were very welcoming and kind... a pleasure to stay with. Very cool large historic home!
May 2017
Thank's very much dear David and Carolyn. I was have I very good and comfortable time to stay in your home. Perfect location near to Metro Green Line
How do I book?
Contact the host to check their availability and ask them any questions you have about staying with them. Once the host confirms they’re available for your dates, you can complete your booking.
When do I pay?
Once a host confirms they're available, you can go ahead and pay the 15% booking fee (maximum of 250 $£€ for longer term bookings) using a choice of payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Laser, JCB & PayPal (not available in certain countries). You then pay your host on arrival or as stated by your host on their profile and agreed by you on booking. Please be cautious if a host requests advance payment if its not included on their profile. Our hosts have been advised that if they wish to request advance payment they must make this explicit in their profile. We do not recommend the use of Money gram or Western Union.
When can I share my contact details?
Host and Guest email address, phone number and home address will be exchanged in a confirmation email sent to both immediately after a booking is completed. It's against our policy for Guests and Hosts to exchange direct contact details via our messaging system.