Notes from the host
The Magic House Near Hawthorne District
Your safety is our top priority. We are following VRBO's advanced cleaning guidelines and our neighborhood is among the most safe and peaceful in Portland.
The Magic House, circa 1909, is located in a charming restaurant and boutique district, 2 blocks to SE Hawthorne and 3 blocks to SE Division, in the heart of Hawthorne and Portland!
Walk score 93! Located 15 minutes to the airport, 11 minutes to downtown, and 9 minutes to the Oregon Convention Center. Walk 3 blocks to rental bikes and 2 blocks to four bus stops. Park in driveway for easy load in and out. There is also plenty of free street parking with no time limits.
There is excellent walking in our beautiful neighborhood with plenty of space to social distance and enjoy beautiful gardens and vintage Portland homes.
We want to safely accommodate the needs of your group at The Magic House and Magic Barn. The Magic Barn is located in the backyard and can be booked separately in conjunction with The Magic House to give more space for your group.
Please see the Magic Barn: Vrbo 1106117
The Magic House was Todji's sculpture studio for 17 years. We hope you enjoy her vintage style and artistry! The Magic House was a neglected rental when Todji first rented a room in 2000. He purchased the house in 2004 when banks were giving loans to self-employed artists, and he continued to fix it up for 17 years, while renting rooms to community artists and friends.
Todji painted the outside of The Magic House over three summers. The floors are worn and full of stories, the stairs are a little creaky, the paint is fresh and colorful, and the furnishings are up-cycled and unique.
This is not a real estate investor style of vacation rental home. We are self employed artists and we have done all the restoration work ourselves. We encourage you to book with us if that is the kind of cultural experience that you want.
While restoring The Magic House, Todji built a career producing bronze sculpture monuments for US cities, and private collectors. The sculpture collection in the house rotates to different galleries and exhibitions.
Your onsite host Hobie is a professional writer and novelist. He is available for friendly help, and also to respect privacy. Please text him if you need something onsite.
We give cleaning and maintenance work at the Magic House to community artists.
We list the claw foot tub on VRBO as a "Spa Whirlpool" (which is the only check box option to describe it) so that hot bath people can find their way to a hot clawfoot tub bath at the Magic House. Please see photos. Enjoy!
The backyard is shared space with Magic Barn guests, your hosts, gardeners, maintenance people, etc. Please exchange friendly hellos, respect privacy and practice social distancing.
There is driveway parking for one car. The driveway is reserved for the landscaper's truck for two hours, two days a month. If the landscaper is scheduled during your visit we will let you know and ask you to move your vehicle while the landscaper works.
There are orange Nike rental bikes three blocks away at SE Hawthorne and 40th St, in front of New Seasons health food grocery store.
There are bus stops going in the four directions within three blocks of our front door. Downtown by bus is approximately 15 minutes. Use Trimet's website to easily plan bus and light rail trips.
To get from the airport to our house (10 miles) by public transportation you can take a Max train at the airport and then transfer once to a Trimet bus, in approximately 52 minutes.
We are very centrally located, and along with that convenience comes audible and visible street traffic. We are located off of a fairly busy four lane street. We have one mustard colored bedroom on the backside of the house that has two queen mattresses which is fairly distant from the sound of the street in case you have any light sleepers in your group.
Proximity to the street has been fine for some guests, and not ideal for others. A previous guest at The Magic House wrote this in their review: "Description of the house warns about the sound of traffic from a busy street, but we didn't notice. Neighborhood is safe and clean." Very few of our guests have had issue with the street proximity. We recommend the mustard colored room for light sleepers.
The Magic Barn is set back a good distance from the street and has been described in past reviews as "tranquil", "quiet" and "serene".
We are located in one of the most beautiful, and hippest neighborhoods in Portland, and we have always felt comfortable walking in our neighborhood during the day and night.
The Magic House has four queen beds in frames, two twin floor mattresses, a queen floor mattress, a sleeper sofa in the dining room, and the living room has a sofa and can accommodate a queen floor mattress. All are pictured in our photos.
We charge $30 per night, per guest, after the first 4 guests. VRBO includes that in your total when you enter more than 4 guests in the guest count.
Safety is our top priority. We require our guests to write us a message with a little information about themselves and their trip before we send the door code. We hope that this will help provide a safer environment for guests, neighbors, and hosts. Please share a little information if you wish to book.
With the center of both SE Hawthorne St and SE Division St within 3 blocks, there is an abundance of restaurants, grocery stores, neighborhood strolling, boutique browsing and hiking options within walking distance.
See a movie, or just step in to witness the beautiful and iconic McMenamin's Bagdad theater, accompanied by an incredible restaurant/bar/pool hall in the back called the "Back Stage Bar", at SE 37th and Hawthorne. It will give you a feel for classic Portland!
We are minutes from Mt Tabor park which has a lovely forest with walking trails sitting upon a dormant volcano, and we are 45 minutes to the spectacular 600 foot tall Multnomah waterfall in the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge scenic area.
Division Street is three blocks away, and is a recently renovated strip with modern architecture, new restaurants and boutique shops that will give you a feel for the freshest vibe Portland has to offer.
Here is a list to get you started:
Restaurants:
(The options are endless but here are a few popular favorites!)
Serving Food Late - Sapphire Hotel at 50th and Hawthorne, Romantic and sexy atmosphere- great for late night drinks and gourmet bar food.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters- 45th and Division, Classic Great Portland Coffee
Trinket- One block away on Lincoln and 39th, great for Brunch with their locally sourced eggs!)
Harlow- 36th and Hawthorne, Hip and Healthy, great for lunch, or fresh veggie juice.
Por Que No- 46th and Hawthorne, Wildly popular Mexican with a great playful decor. (Don’t be intimidated by the line, you order at the counter, and then get a seat and your order will be out in no time)
Bollywood Theater- 30th and Division, Indian food small plates. Also along line but worth it! Salt and Straw- 33rd and Division, Food Networks top five ice creams! Super Popular!
Lauretta Jeans- 34th and Division, Breathtaking Pies!
Tidbit Food Cart Pod, 28th and Division, Fabulous food cart selection, lots of seating, including a beer garden and vintage clothing bus. A truly Portland experience.
Hiking: The website of "Friends of the Columbia Gorge" has detailed information about many hikes in the scenic and nearby Columbia River Gorge. It is a 45 minute drive from here to enter the gorge. Below are the names of hikes that we love and recommend. Check the website to find a hike with a distance and fitness level that suits you. For those who are visiting the gorge for the first time, I recommend visiting the most spectacular, and also the most touristicated, 600 foot Multnomah Falls. For those who want a challenging half day hike you can begin at Multnomah Falls and hike a loop called the Franklin Ridge Loop. Multnomah Falls /Franklin Ridge Loop Eagle Creek Angels Rest Bridal Veil Falls Triple Falls Wahkeena Falls
Groceries, Pharmacy and Shopping:
New Seasons- Local Health Food Store (40th and Hawthorne)
Fred Meyers- Local Department/Grocery store (Cesar Chavez and Hawthorne)
Rite Aid Pharmacy- Drugstore/pharmacy (Cesar Chavez and Division)
Powell’s Books- A smaller version of Portland’s famous Bookstore (37th and Hawthorne)
Gold Door- Wonderful Imports from around the world (37th and Hawthorne)
Enjoy!
We hope to host you!
With Love,
Todji and Hobie