Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s downtown Olympia apartment, where he lived while producing much of the iconic 1991 album Nevermind , is now listed as a short-term rental on Airbnb, according to Fox13. A night in the apartment now costs $250 to $300 on Airbnb, Realtor.com reports. The apartment, located near East Bay Waterfront Park, offers short-term stays with a two-night minimum, with more availability for summer bookings. The apartment retains some of its original fixtures and memorabilia, along with modern amenities. Rock ‘n’ roll fanatics now have the rare opportunity to experience the space where Kurt Cobain produced chart-topping music and called home.
Nirvana released three studio albums and disbanded in April 1994 after Cobain’s death. The band has reportedly sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Nevermind alone has passed 30 million copies.
Cobain wrote ‘about 75% of his total lifetime output’ while living here, according to the historical society. In August 1990, after a night out with Cobain, she wrote ‘Kurt smells like Teen Spirit’ on his bedroom wall. Cobain moved out of Pear Street 35 years ago, before that album made him famous. The listing has a 4.8-star rating.
That stretch runs from the period around Nirvana’s debut album Bleach into the months before Nevermind . The apartment’s best-known story involves Kathleen Hanna, singer of Bikini Kill. The apartment sits in a residential stretch of downtown Olympia, and the listing puts guests in the same rooms where the band’s early material took shape. The quiet Olympia getaway has attracted hundreds of visitors. The bathroom comes with hot water, bath essentials and cleaning products. The bedroom has bed linen, an iron, hangers and a wardrobe. There is also an entertainment unit with a TV, as well as books and other reading materials. There is a smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, fire extinguisher and first aid kit for safety. The kitchen comes with a fridge, freezer, coffee maker, toaster, microwave and cooking basics such as pots and pans, oil, salt and pepper. There is also adequate crockery and cutlery.
Cobain began writing ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ a few weeks before Nirvana recorded Nevermind in 1991. Teen Spirit was a deodorant. Cobain did not know that, so he read the line as something closer to a slogan, and later borrowed it as a title. The song itself came later. So the Pear Street wall also made its own contribution to Cobain’s musical career.