I did a long-term stay of 2.5 months at Sophie’s apartment from Oct-Dec. The location is absolutely perfect- in the heart of Terreaux, surrounded by great cafés, thrift stores, restaurants, markets, with the metro and bike stations nearby. However, as it faces a courtyard, the apartment itself is very quiet and you don’t hear the noise from the street, only the neighbors occasionally.
It is a small but cozy place, perfect for one or two people. Sophie was extremely welcoming and responsive during my stay- she always made sure to check on me and ask if I was doing well and had everything I needed, which I really appreciated. She gave lots of recommendations and had nice books and pamphlets in the apartment to help discover the city.
There is a laundry machine shared between the two adjoining apartments- the only drawback is it’s a bit difficult to dry the laundry in the apartment as it limits the space. While the apartment is quiet as it faces the courtyard, the downside is that it is very dark all day and can get a bit cold as it’s an old building (but this would be perfect in the hot summer months). For someone like me who was not home much in the daytime, this wasn’t a big problem. Considering the price of the rental, I think the furnishings could be improved a bit, but everything was functional and comfortable, and it was a good home base in Lyon.