Popular areas and nearby alternatives

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
1

Hey y’all. I’ve been sitting for a few years now, mostly in places either near where I live in Texas or specific driving destinations and places in between that are easily accessible by car. While I do believe that having a car provides more freedom to explore some places off the beaten path, sometimes it’s nice to experience a popular urban area too.

Now, there are two obstacles I’ve encountered in trying to secure popular urban sits.

  1. Parking. For instance, I’ve wanted to explore New Orleans but it is very rare to find a sit with off street parking and I’m really not super comfortable with my car on the street in areas that require frequent moving for cleaning or fees, or experience frequent theft and damage (I’m not projecting here; I’ve had a NO resident tell me this happened to her mom’s car!)

  2. Selectivity of HOs. How do I say this skillfully? The worst treatment during the application phase tends to come from HOs in popular areas. If I’ve managed to get an application in the max window, I rarely actually get the sit. My application email is frequently left on read for weeks with no response; it is declined with no note; or I get some kind of condescending reply that indicates that somehow I wasn’t good enough for the sit, or hints that I expected to be treated better than they are used to (not opening this can of worms here, but I’m sure some of you know what I’m talking about. Many homeowners in diamond elite locations feel like they can treat us like the help with many high expectations despite offering few amenities other than location).

This topic post, while offering some opportunity for sharing and commiseration, is actually intended to discuss nearby alternatives and perhaps personal experiences.

While I mentioned NO, I’ve never actually been able to sit there or nearby yet - still on the list, and happy for any advice about locations that have safe street parking or off street parking, and are still close enough for some exploration.

What I will share about is my experience with Austin. I have completed a few sits there, and will say that my favorite area is the south side, where many call it old Austin. Many sits, the lots are bigger, the people feel more like community, friendly and chill.

A lot of urban areas are hard to get. So let me tell you about some nearby areas that are great and less competitive. Wimberley and San Marcos to the south, Lago Vista and Jonestown and Cedar Park areas to the northwest, Georgetown to the north. All fine locations in and of themselves as well as being quite close to Austin.

Would anyone like to share about their experiences with great locations nearby to popular destinations? Cities like NYC, Seattle, San Francisco, or activity destinations like the mountains, beaches, national parks?

Thanks for reading and double thanks for your replies!

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2

I’ve not found sits in San Francisco or Seattle hard to get – I just finished a repeat sit in San Francisco (off the books from THS) and my next THS sit will be in Seattle.

I’ve sat in both cities a bunch of times and the hosts have all been prompt and hospitable. I withdraw within 48 hours if a host doesn’t reply, regardless of popularity of location and have gotten sits in urban locations. (I avoid rural areas.)

I apply only to listings where hosts come across as welcoming, with a good sense of hospitality and reciprocity. I avoid listings where hosts focus only on themselves and their pets, no matter how great the location. That’s why I’ve had thoughtful hosts in many urban locations, including London and Glasgow (and via Nomador, I was offered sits in NYC and Hong Kong).

For some locations, I don’t bother with a car and instead take ride shares. Like my just-completed San Francisco repeat sit has a driveway where I can park, but I just walked to the many nearby amenities or I took Waymo self-driving rides. Parking at destinations in San Francisco can be a pain, not just at a sit.

If I will have my own wheels, we just discuss whether hosts will have parking. If not, they should be able to make recommendations or secure guest parking or street parking permits sometimes.

So far, I’ve often been offered parking as needed, in a driveway, or a guest spot, or even, as in the case of my upcoming Seattle sit, the hosts offering to move their car into street parking, so I can park in their garage space for convenience. They volunteered that, without my even asking about parking, because they live in Capitol Hill, where parking can be tight.

I’ve driven in New Orleans many times over decades and found parking even in popular locations – just had to look a little harder. (I’ve never applied for sits there, though.) There and in all locations where I park, I never leave anything visible in the car that might lead to someone breaking in.

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3

I don’t know anything about elite locations in the USA, however I can share tips on London sits. Not many people realise that they could do a sit in central Woking or Weybridge and easily be in central London in 22 minutes. In England commuter belt trains are frequent, and outside of commuter times you can get a cheap day return and do the London sites if cat sitting. Or do a sit in Brighton, it’s just one hour by train into central London.

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4

My husband and I sit full time and when in the US we travel by car and it certainly does open up possibilities.

But like you say, it could be an impediment to certain areas–we actually don’t sit in super urban areas all that often.

We are currently sitting in California and I did see a couple of sits in very central neighborhoods of San Francisco but free parking, either on or off street, was not mentioned in the amenities so I did not apply.

We recently did a sit in LA in a more ‘suburban’ area where they had a driveway–lots of LA actually doesn’t seem to be all that ‘urban’ and you may find lots of areas where you can easily bring a car.

We just did a sit in San Diego in a very central neighborhood by the beach and besides once a month street cleaning on X day, all the parking was free all the time with no restrictions, permits,etc…and we never had issues finding a spot.

As for the second part of your post, I have been sitting since 2014 and have done dozens of sits in very ‘popular’ areas and I have never found these hosts to really be any different than any other host as far as how they interact, response times,etc… While it is unfortunate if you have had people treat you rudely, I sometimes think sitters can be oversensitive and read a lot into relatively benign comments,etc…And this is especially easy to do when communication is in written form with people you don’t know.

Also, I have no idea what you are saying in your application messages so perhaps there is something that is coming across as ‘off-putting’ and they are responding in kind.

Lastly on this point, I think there is something about this dynamic that can trigger stuff in sitters as far as certain sensitivities, insecurities,etc… and again, it can affect how they view these interactions and the overall experience.

To be clear, I am not directing these thoughts at the original poster specifically, but just saying this about sitters in general.

I am sure you will come across plenty of interesting areas that will allow for your car and I know it can be discouraging when desirable sits don’t work out but we just gotta keep on keeping on application-wise. Good luck!

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5

Something that I remember about San Francisco: Depending on the neighborhood and on how central it is, check for conferences and other big events that might overlap a sit, because it can be a nightmare to park even if you’re willing to pay.

For example, I used to work near the baseball ballpark and parking would shoot up and sometimes sell out on game days. Even more than a decade ago, they’d be charging $80 and run out of spaces at times. (Regular days, parking ran at $20 where I parked.) And later, in another neighborhood, down Market Street, by the Twitter campus, we once invited a guest speaker during a major conference like Dreamforce and there was no parking to be had, at any price, in or near our building. The speaker called and I had to tell him to drive away from our location, park his car and then take a ride share back to us, which we would pay for.

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6

Echoing @Maggie8K re: Seattle; plenty of sits here (also on the east side like Bellevue, Woodinville, Kirkland etc. Lovely areas & easy to get into the city by car, sometimes by light-rail depending on location.) Parking in Seattle & surroundings tends to be more available than some other cities, for house sits. That can vary if it’s a high-rise apartment, of course, but I think it’s generally less problematic than some other large cities.

Another metro area I love is Victoria BC, if you’re interested & able to visit Canada. It’s good-sized but not huge, imminently walkable & dog-friendly, absolutely beautiful & lots to do — plus the ferry ride from Vancouver or Port Angeles (on the Olympic peninsula in Washington) is spellbinding…you might even see whales, in season. My hosts there hove usually let me use their parking spot or a guest access spot in secured underground parking.

Depending upon what you enjoy, Las Vegas might also be an option. You’ll likely have a whole house & parking wouldn’t generally be an issue.

Orlando and the surrounding towns is another, at least from late Feb-Mayish. I prefer the north suburbs there, or the lovely Lake Eola neighborhood; the parks are to the south/southwest of the city proper, if you’re into those. You’ll need a car to get around, but parking not generally a problem. A lot of people don’t realize it but there’s a lot more to see & experience besides the theme parks.

Hope that helps, and good luck on your adventures as you branch out!

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7

A friendly heads up: If you’re driving around with a bunch of belongings, be careful and try to avoid leaving anything of value visible when you’re away from the car. That’s because smash (windows) and grabs are a risk.

Like I used to live/work in urban Seattle decades ago and people would get their cars smashed into. Back then, thieves typically stole radios and such, but now they often steal whatever’s fence-able or resellable.

Similarly, there was a thread recently involving (as it turns out) a sitter having all their possessions stolen while parked in Portland.

Even parking in a garage can pose similar risks. Like I used to park in a San Francisco office building garage with valet parking (because they could squeeze in more cars that way). One day the valet (whom we all had to leave keys with) must’ve left my car unlocked, because I came back to find it tossed and someone had reclined and apparently napped in my driver’s seat. Luckily, Iost nothing, because I kept nothing valuable in there.

Especially be careful at tourist sights – many have warning signs now, as do many U.S. rental car agencies, because smash and grabs have become common in various areas.

Personally, we have cars without trunks and we keep lockable cargo boxes on top of them, which can make thieves pursue easier cars to target.

8

Really appreciate your post and some of the concerns and experiences you’ve had. Austin is on my list (been there many times, but not on a sit) so your input is really helpful. I’ve only done sits on the West Coast so far, but can speak to most of the cities you mentioned. I don’t disagree with you about the tone from homeowners, particularly in San Francisco. I’m currently in SF on back-to-back sits and the interactions and expectations I encountered are beyond anything I’ve experienced previously. I think this is due to SF being a desirable/high-cost area combined with far fewer listings available than when I joined a few years ago. I’m currently looking at LA and Central California and the listings are shockingly sparse.

New Orleans: I lived there briefly but haven’t done sits. My neighborhood was Uptown and I have friends in Midtown, Upper Garden, Fountainbleu and those areas always felt safe. I’d avoid touristy neighborhoods or areas directly on festival routes. The only damage I encountered to my vehicle were rats eating through some tubing. But if you haven’t been there, I hope you manage to find a sit. It’s a great place to visit and I personally love it in the fall through early Spring.

Seattle: I’ve never had trouble getting sits there. You may need to venture outside the city (Tacoma is actually great). Parking can be tough but I’ve always been provided a spot.

San Francisco: Probably the most difficult city for parking due to density, decrease in parking area due to garages, and parking rules. I was provided parking for both my sits. One option if you have to park on the street is to park in an area that allows parking for longer periods and then walk or use other Transpo. For example, there are areas in which you can park for unlimited time but not on the two streetcleanring days a month. However, applying was unlike anything I’ve encountered before. You’ll need to put in significantly more effort and weed through carefully. I was fortunate - I got one decent sit and then one that’s been ideal (lovely home, animals, and the kindest homeowners). But I swear it took 10x the energy I’ve put forth previously.

My normal acceptance rate is around 95%. For SF, I applied to about 15 sits to land 2. I experienced:

  • 3 homeowners expecting in-person “interviews” before confirming

  • 2 homeowners using THS as backup, only revealing this after finding someone off-platform

  • 2 homeowners wanting only local sitters (even while I was here)

  • Many taking a week or more to respond

I’d stepped away from THS for a while and didn’t know if something had shifted (it has - far fewer urban sits available) or if homeowner attitudes had changed toward viewing this as unpaid employment. I think it’s both. That said, there are some great sits available in the cities you’re looking at, but with SF it is definitely more of a challenge.

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9

Agree that as someone that lives in the outer reaches of Greater London and London being roughly 620 square miles plus as you say the home counties that border greater London there are a lot of sitting opportunities available with less competition if you’re willing to jump on regular public transport that can get you into central London well within 50 minutes.

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I’ve done some great sits in commuter towns/cities to large popular cities/towns across Europe and found some really cool places within an hour or less of said popular towns.

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11

The only problem with being an hour on transport out of London is if you only have 4 hours away from the pet then it equals only 2 hours in greater London. Going back and forth the costs quickly add up too. However transport costs pale in comparison to London accommodation.

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12

Really great comments and contributions, thanks y’all!

So what I want to say about Austin is this. Not in any other town have I applied and received so many application declines without comment despite my very personal and thoughtful note with my application. I try not to let it upset me but it does. It comes off to me as incredibly rude and dismissive.

Do any of you have the same high percentage of declines with no reply in any of your sit locations?

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Not any patterns or significant number of declined in cities that I’ve experienced.

Again, I sit only in dense urban areas. And I’ve tended to get quick responses. Like I just started a sit with one cat in Capitol Hill in Seattle, which is urban and popular, and these hosts replied the same day that I applied.

Very sweet cat — came down to greet me as soon as I walked in and called her name. She’s already climbing on the back of my head, on the sofa.

The place is upscale, bright and clean, with a view roof deck. And they gave me their parking spot.

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14

I’ve not applied to sit in Austin, but one of my more recent sits was in San Antonio, in the Pearl, which is upscale and popular. Those hosts replied right away, too.

They have two easy, quirky cats in an upscale, clean apartment, with guest parking. It was only a few blocks to the Riverwalk and lots of other stuff. And they said I was welcome back anytime.

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15

Hmmm, I applied for two sits in Austin last summer and secured both of them within a couple of hours.

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16

I mean thats great. I have 39 - 5 star reviews and send lengthy personalized sit application notes every time. This past week I’ve had three Austin sits decline me with no note. Its truly confounding to me.

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@PeripateticPam, sorry to hear that. Perhaps I was just lucky. :wink:
Also, both of my sits were during the (hot) summer.

18

I live two hours from NYC so can go in anytime and don’t love cities enough to want to sit there. I’m also two hours from Boston, and I did a wonderful, mellow cat sit in an outer suburb. I could have gone into Boston for a day (or every day during my sit) but found so many more appealing places to explore, taking full advantage of the amazing Colonial history in the whole region. There are too many charming historic towns to list, but Concord, Lexington, and Salem are absolute musts. I am more into nature than cities, so I went to beautiful beaches and hiked in some gorgeous nature preserves and on a rail trail. I also met a childhood friend for lunch one day up in Portsmouth, NH, about an hour from Boston.

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