People call this neighborhood the SOHO of Santa Fe which locals find amusing. It is really a friendly family neighborhood 2.5 miles SW of the Plaza, SITE Santa Fe, and the Railyard District and a short stroll from some great local restaurants and hang-outs, including Counter Culture, a very popular cafe with cinnamon rolls the size of your head. The Biodiesel Gas station is at the end of the street.
The south railyard neighborhood still has lots of authentic Santa Fe funkiness and charm, yet it is changing fast because of the new trail system that links it to the new Rail Yard park and commercial area and proximity to the RailRunner train station (links to Abq).
If you prefer not to drive, you are within easy walking or biking distance to the RailRunner station, local buses to the Plaza and Museums, and the Rail Yard Park in addition to galleries and restaurants in the neighborhood. I provide two mountain bikes for your use. Please bring your own helmets.
The Bee House is a charming and simple home; plain on the outside, cozy on the inside. The living room with its traditional kiva fireplace, rustic woodstove, and oak and pine floors is a pleasant place to relax. This home is light and airy, yet solid because of the thick adobe walls.
The simple kitchen includes a 1960’s O’Keeffe & Merritt stove with a griddle, convection/toaster oven, new fridge, coffeemaker and stove top espresso, blender for margaritas and all cooking and serving needs.
The main bedroom has a double Tempur-pedic mattress, a kiva fireplace and a wall of east facing windows for morning light over the mountains. Another double bed with a good spring mattress, a writing table and a built-in closet are in an area off of the living room separated by a stepped half wall - bedroom annex. Both the main bedroom and the bedroom ”annex” have doors onto the public areas of the kitchen, laundry/TV room and bathroom, as well as doors to the outside, so two couples can share the house with privacy.
A third single bed Japanese futon in the TV room can serve as a daybed or another sleeping space. The futons are true Japanese “shikis,"designed to be stacked on the floor for sleeping and stashed when not in use. They also make great meditation pads. There is also an air mattress for flexibility.
There are fine linens and down or down-alternative duvets and blankets available for all beds. The furnishings are a simple and eclectic combination of antique, modern and thrift fare. The artwork, books and chachkis in the house are eclectic and reflect my travels and interests so it is not your average rental with store-bought Santa Fe style.
In case you are wondering why it's called The Bee House... I am a beekeeper. I'll leave a pot of local Santa Fe Garden honey from my beehives on the stove for you. My bees pollinate Santa Fe gardens and provide delicious honey and beeswax for candles or cosmetics. Week-long renters will be welcomed with a starter gift of fresh local eggs, espresso for the stovetop maker and a few other things to help you settle in!
There are few electro-gizmos in The Bee House, so you will have to explore Anasazi ruins, hike in the mountains, visit the galleries, soak in mineral springs, or drink margaritas on the Plaza instead. There is a stereo CD player, a solar radio, TV with VCR and DSL with wireless, so you won't be completely cut off from civilization! In the living room is a basket full of gallery guides, local papers for cultural events and information, a hiking guide to borrow and a list of my favorite haunts and other information. There is so much to do here for a small town that it can make your head spin.
Enjoy yourselves and have a pleasant relaxing time!
The Bee House will undergo a sustainability design and retrofit over the next year. Renters will be able to enjoy and experience grid-intertied solar energy (the electricity is provided by solar panels and backed up by city electricity. There are no outages and the utility company buys back the electricity the house doesn't use!), energy-efficient appliances, a permaculture garden with water harvesting, and other features. The Bee House will have all the same comforts of home as any conventional house, but with a smaller carbon footprint. The design and retrofit will be documented for guests to track and learn!
Amenities:
Two traditional kiva fireplaces, off-street parking, phone (local only), DSL with wireless, TV & stereo, radio, kitchen with new fridge, convection/toaster oven, vintage stove with griddle, dining and cooking utensils, blankets, duvets, linens and towels provided, washer & dryer with organic laundry and dish soap, hair dryer, charcoal grill (BBQ), New Mexico and Santa Fe maps events magazines, Santa Fe restaurant information, and brochures, some games and books, NO SMOKING AND NO PETS PLEASE!
Activities in the Area:
All either in Santa Fe or within an easy drive of town: some world-class spas (5 miles from Ten Thousand Waves Japanese Spa) Natural Hot Springs (45 minute drive from Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs), great skiing at Santa Fe and Taos, numerous Native American Pueblos and Northern New Mexico Villages to visit, 7 miles from Santa Fe Opera and the Flea Market, year-round events inlcuding Indian Market, Spanish market, Santa Fe Design Week and Bioneers Conference, Balloon Fiesta, 3 miles from the Art Galleries and Openings on Canyon Road, great shopping and restaurants all over the darned place, Museums on the Plaza and on Museum Hill 3 miles away, 2/3 mile to Alto Street Park and Bi-Centennial Swimming Pool (outdoor - with kids pool), Whitewater Rafting, Anasazi ruins, FUN!
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