Kurt Cobain’s former Olympia apartment where Nirvana’s music took shape is now an Airbnb |
Kurt Cobain’s former Olympia apartment, a place closely tied to Nirvana’s early years, has found a surprising second life as a short-term rental. The modest property in Washington is now listed on Airbnb, allowing fans to stay in a space connected to the period when Cobain was writing music before Nirvana became a global rock phenomenon.Located at 114 Pear St NE, the apartment is part of a century-old triplex and has retained several features connected to its past. The current Airbnb listing describes it as “a piece of rock history” and says it is “the studio where Kurt Cobain wrote much of Nevermind, preserved with original fixtures andmemorabilia.”The property is now attracting visitors interested not only in the accommodation itself but also in the story behind the rooms.
From Kurt Cobain’s modest rent to a sought-after Airbnb stay
Recent reports put the Airbnb’s nightly price at around $250, although the exact amount depends on the dates selected. The current Airbnb page asks guests to enter their check-in and checkout dates to see the applicable price. The listing is for an entire one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit that can accommodate two guests.The contrast with Cobain’s time there is striking. Cobain and his then-girlfriend Tracy Marander reportedly paid about $137 for rent and utilities for the apartment. Decades later, fans are paying a few hundred dollars for a single night in the same space.The Airbnb listing also highlights a quiet downtown setting, a queen-sized bed, Wi-Fi, cable and a backyard with a cherry tree. It has received a 4.85-star rating from 95 reviews on the current listing.
The house dates back to around 1914
Long before Cobain moved in, the building was simply another residential property in Olympia.The Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum says the house at 114 Pear St NE was erected around 1914. It was designed as a triplex, with two apartments facing the street and a smaller third apartment at the rear.Cobain lived in the building between 1989 and 1991, during a period when Nirvana was developing the music that would eventually take the band far beyond Olympia. The historical society says, according to its sources, that Cobain wrote about 75% of his total lifetime outputwhile living at the property.That history gives the otherwise ordinary-looking building a much bigger place in Nirvana’s story.
The wall behind one of Nirvana’s biggest songs
The apartment is also connected to the story behind ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.According to the Olympia Historical Society, Kathleen Hanna wrote graffiti on the wall of Cobain’s apartment that read “Kurt smells like Teen Spirit.” Cobain later used the phrase as the title of the Nirvana song.The song eventually became one of Nirvana’s best-known tracks and appeared on ‘Nevermind’, the 1991 album that took the band from the alternative music scene to a much wider audience.That makes the Pear Street apartment more than just a former address. It was part of Cobain’s everyday surroundings during the years when some of the ideas associated with Nirvana’s breakthrough were taking shape.
The apartment was there before the fame
Cobain’s time at the property overlapped with the release of ‘Bleach’ in 1989 and the period leading up to ‘Nevermind’.The difference between the apartment’s appearance and the scale of Nirvana’s eventual success is part of its appeal. There is nothing about the property that suggests it was once connected to one of the most recognizable bands of the grunge era.The building was simply a home for Cobain during a period when he was still developing his career. Soon after, Nirvana’s growing popularity would change the circumstances around him.Today, the apartment gives fans a chance to look back at that earlier chapter rather than only the years when Cobain was already internationally famous.
What remains inside the former Cobain home
The current Airbnb has been decorated around its musical history. The listing mentions original fixtures and memorabilia, while reports have highlighted Nirvana photographs, posters, books and other items connected to Cobain.The Airbnb describes the space as an “eclectic space with musical history” and says it offers a setting for musicians, artists and writers.It remains a small residential studio rather than a formal museum, which gives the stay a different feel. Visitors are not simply looking at memorabilia behind glass; they are staying in a real apartment that was once part of Cobain’s life.For Nirvana fans, that connection is the biggest attraction. The property captures a quieter moment in Cobain’s story, from the years when he was living in Olympia and working on music to the period just before Nirvana’s success changed everything.
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