Steinbeck Country
A similar phenomenon has been noted by Kevin and Vickey Delaney, who in 2012 bought the former home and writing studio of Nobel Prizewinning author John Steinbeck in Pacific Grove, Calif., a coastal city in Monterey County. Originally built in 1913, the property is just a few blocks away from the cottage where Steinbeck spent summers as a child and where he began writing his book “Sea of Cortez: A Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research” with Ed Ricketts from 1941 to 1943. Steinbeck wrote frequently about the home, especially its garden, in letters to loved ones.
The Delaneys bought the residence, now subdivided into three smaller cottages, with the intention of converting it into a short-term rental property. “We love history and literature and are avid Steinbeck fans,” Kevin Delaney said. “We were looking for a family unit from a rental perspective and found this charming property with an impressive footnote.”
All three cottages, including the 350-square-foot writing studio with direct views of the garden, are available to rent on Airbnb starting at $70 a night. Because of the city’s shortterm rental regulations, the Delaneys had to enforce a 30-night minimum stay pre-COVID. “We immediately began attracting retired travelers — often from another country, like Canada — who were booking a month or more at a time, as well as writers looking for an inspiring place to work,” Kevin Delaney said.
With the pandemic, Kevin Delaney said renters have been less concerned with the home’s history and more interested in securing a snug space to hunker down. “There’s been a steady population of traveling nurses and people coming to stay near family,” he said. “We’re booking months at a time, so comfortably sheltering in place is a big factor for renters.”