Our dome was featured in the Oct. 2014 issue of Pittsburgh Magazine (the article "Dome away from Home" can also be viewed online).
"Love Where You Sleep" with our luxurious and super comfy mattresses & pillows from the highly rated Nest Bedding.... The Alexander Signature Series (king), The Alexander Hybrid (queen), and The Love Bed (full/double).
#PittsburghDome #YacaDome #DomeSweetDome #DomeAwayFromHome #NestBedding
The space
• PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE LISTING BEFORE SUBMITTING AN INQUIRY OR A BOOKING REQUEST. Answers to many questions you may have can be found here.
• By reading all of the information we've made available here and by asking in advance any additional questions you may have, you can arrive with realistic and reasonable expectations regarding:
- our House Rules and policies
- the dome itself and the available amenities
- transportation options (we very strongly recommend that guests have a car, as our dome is not in a walkable neighborhood; Uber and Lyft are also viable options).
- proximity to attractions, shopping, dining, and other neighborhoods; the listing's map includes a shaded circle that indicates the general area in which the home is located.
• Is it a spaceship? A yurt? A tent? No, it's a Yaca-Dome! And it's not just any old Yaca-Dome, it's the original Yaca-Dome! But we just call it "The Igloo."
• You'll be staying in one of Pittsburgh's most unique homes. Only 26 Yaca-Domes were ever built; ours was the first one built, and it's also the only Yaca-Dome in this part of the county.
• Our dome was built in 1969 by Pittsburgh native Joseph Yacoboni, who received a US Patent in 1975 for the construction method.
• Yaca-Domes were mentioned in the January 1975 issue of Popular Science.
• The house was designed to withstand earthquakes and 250 mph hurricanes...not something we normally have to worry about in this part of the country!
• If you and/or others in your traveling party are expecting luxury or a place where everything is shiny, new, and perfect, and/or our dome isn't in an area you want to stay in, then please do all parties involved a favor and don't book with us.
• But if you’re looking to stay in a unique and sometimes quirky home that is within the city limits but feels more secluded, our dome may be perfect for you!
• Our dome is NOT located in a posh neighborhood or a sterile/sanitized/homogeneous cookie-cutter development.
• As our dome is a very unique vintage property that contains mostly vintage furnishings, the dome and furnishings do display some age-related wear. We’ve made various updates and improvements over the time we’ve had the dome, and plan to continue doing so as time and finances permit.
• A few of this listing's photos are Airbnb Verified photos; those photos reflect the furnishings and decor at the time of the Airbnb photo shoot (August 2013). Please note that furnishings and decor are subject to change at our discretion. The bed linens may be different than those pictured, and various other minor changes have been made.
• Please don't book without reading the listing and then leave a negative review based on unrealistic expectations that resulted from your failure to read the listing, look at all the photos, or look at the listing's map to see where our home is located in relation to the places you plan to visit while in Pittsburgh (as with all Airbnb listings, our listing's map includes a shaded circle to indicate the area within which the listed property is located).
Guest access
You'll be staying in one of Pittsburgh's most unique homes. Only 26 Yaca-Domes were ever built; ours was the first one built, and it's also the only Yaca-Dome in this part of the county.
We have Nest Bedding mattresses and 2 Nest pillows in each of in our dome's 3 bedrooms. Nest Bedding's motto is "Love Where You Sleep" and we do believe that our guests will love these super comfy mattresses and pillows! Nest Bedding's high quality mattresses and pillows are eco-friendly and are made to order by hand right here in the USA.
Features of our dome include:
• WiFi access
• Central heat/AC
• Master Bedroom- King bed with Nest Bedding's Alexander Signature Series mattress in medium firmness, 2 Nest Easy Breather pillows, 2 regular pillows, nightstand with lamp, chest of drawers, dresser with mirror, 2 chairs with a side table and lamp, closet, and ceiling fan/light.
• Middle-sized Bedroom- Queen size bed with Nest Bedding's Alexander Signature Hybrid mattress in medium firmness, 2 Nest Easy Breather pillows, 2 regular pillows, 2 bedside tables with lamps, chest of drawers (inside closet), desk, chair, closet, and ceiling fan/light.
• Smallest Bedroom- Full size bed with Nest Bedding's Love Bed mattress in medium firmness, 2 Nest Easy Breather pillows, 2 regular pillows, side table with lamp, narrow chest of drawers, floor lamp, and table fan. There is no closet in this room.
• Bathroom- the dome has 1 bathroom, and it contains a vanity sink, tub/shower combination, toilet, blow dryer, towel rack and towels
• Living room- vintage MCM sofa & chair, vintage coffee table and 2 matching end tables, lamps, vintage console that holds a very large TV (it is a "smart TV" however you'll need to log into your own streaming account channel apps on the Roku or the TV if you want to use it to view paid content such as Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, ESPN, etc.), overhead light, and a G**gle Home Mini (which is sometimes used for voice control of the overhead lighting in the living room & dining area, depending on if the Wi-Fi outlets are acting glitchy, and the speaker can also be used to play music, to ask the weather, and to ask other general information questions)
• Dining Area- vintage MCM Italian tubular metal and glass dining table with 4 matching chairs, overhead light
• Kitchen- 5 burner gas range w/ convection oven, side by side fridge, microwave, automatic drip coffeemaker, Bodum French press, electric kettle, toaster, waffle iron, basic cookware, dinnerware, cutlery, other assorted kitchenware, a fresh kitchen sponge, a dish towel, and potholders. Please note that the refrigerator is NOT hooked up to a water line, so it will not dispense water nor will it make ice cubes (you can buy a bag of ice, or make cubes in the ice trays, and pour it into the bin of the ice maker, which then can be used to dispense cubed or crushed ice thru the door).
• Patio- outdoor dining set with 4 chairs
• Iron and ironing board (stored in closet)
• Bed linens- the beds' duvets are in duvet covers. Each bed has 4 pillows; to minimize allergy issues, all pillows and the duvets are free of down or feathers.
• Bath linens- for stays of 4 nights or less, we supply a set of bath towels and washcloths per registered guest; also provided are hand towels and a bath mat. We will provide additional bath linens for longer stays.
• We provide a starter supply of coffee, tea bags, sugar, powdered creamer, salt, pepper, cooking oil, coffee filters, paper towels, trash bags, recycling bags, dish soap, shampoo, body wash, liquid hand soap, and toilet paper; guests are responsible for replenishing these items themselves if they need more.
If your traveling party includes children, infants, and/or individuals with mobility issues, please note:
• the home is not child proofed and there may be cleaning chemicals and other potentially hazardous household items that are not out of reach of children; the booking Guest and other adults in the group are responsible for supervising children at all times
• we do NOT provide cribs, playpens, highchairs, or any other baby gear
• we do not provide toys, games, or other items to keep children entertained
• the home's beds are pretty high; it is the responsibility of the booking Guest to determine prior to booking whether the beds are suitable for the needs of all traveling party members
• there are not grab bars in the bathroom
• the home's toilet was recently replaced, and a new photo is coming soon
Please note that there are some items and areas at the property that guests are not permitted to access as they are reserved for our personal use. Thank you in advance for respecting our privacy, and for ensuring that all traveling party members (including children) also do so. The following areas and items are off limits to all guests:
• the red outdoor storage shed
• the mechanical/boiler room (the rounded-top locked door on the side of the house)
• the small indoor storage room next to the bathroom
• the items stored in the top shelf of the hall closet (shelf labeled "NOT FOR GUEST USE") that are reserved for our personal use
• anything that is locked
Please be aware that 3 of the home's electrical outlets are controlled by switches. Specific information regarding the location of these switch-controlled outlets, and the switches that control them, can be found in the House Manual (which will be included on the Airbnb itinerary that is generated after you book).
• WE PERMIT A MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY OF 6 PEOPLE (including children and infants, regardless of their proposed sleeping arrangements).
• All individuals who will be on the property for ANY amount of time must be paid for (regardless of their size or age) and are to be accounted for in the total number when you send a booking request.
• We offer our home for use only by the registered guests whose names have been provided to us, and who are included in the guest count as shown on the itinerary that Airbnb generates for us once a booking is made.
• For liability reasons, we do not permit any unregistered guests to be on the property.
• No pets are permitted on the property. Our "No pets" policy is NOT negotiable.
• Please respect our right to decide how we allow our home to be used and how many people we feel our home can safely and comfortably accommodate.
Please note that there are no laundry facilities at the dome. The laundromat we recommend to our guests is The Laundry Factory; it is located on Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside, and is a 10 minute drive from the dome. The Laundry Factory offers self-serve coin operated washers and dryers, drop-off laundry service, and dry cleaning services, and their hours can be found on their website.
Other things to note
To avoid misunderstandings and disappointment RE: pricing, please note that:
• our nightly rates vary, and accurate rates can be seen when you enter your dates and the number of guests in your traveling party
• if the date range entered qualifies for a discount based on the length-of-stay, that discount will have already been taken into account in the total quoted by the Airbnb system
If you have any questions about the rate displayed once you have entered the dates and the correct number of guests, contact us for clarification BEFORE you submit a booking request. Also, please do not submit a booking request unless your travel dates are firm and not subject to change. Once we have accepted a booking request, the only pricing adjustments or alterations that we will consider making will be requests to add nights (if available).
For the safety and security of the property, we reserve the right to install and utilize exterior security cameras to monitor the property. There will NOT be any security cameras installed or operating inside the home during a guest's booking.
As we spend time at the dome between bookings to clean and perform maintenance tasks, due to allergies we are unable to accommodate guests who will be traveling with animals.
