I'm not quite sure where to begin here. This was our first time traveling abroad with our sixteen-month-old daughter, so we weren't sure what to expect, but Stephanie and Xuan's magnificent home made this a trip that we will always cherish. The place itself is in a quiet residential neighborhood that has essentially everything you would need to experience Paris as a local: amazing bakeries, bistros, restaurants, local shops and markets, etc. It is in walking distance of the Rue Daguerre, which has one of the best neighborhood, open-air markets in the city--quaint, navigable, with amazing butchers, fromageries, fish-mongers, and grocers. It is also nicely located in terms of public transit--close to both the Denfert Rochereau and Saint-Jacques metro stations. This was our first time in Paris and we had no trouble getting everywhere on our wish-list via public transport (while towing along a toddler and all her accoutrement).
As for the actual apartment, as beautiful as the pictures are here, they don't do justice to how utterly unique and charming this home and neighborhood is. The main entrance is on rue de la tombe issoir, but you then enter a beautiful cobblestone courtyard and make your way down into a private garden that makes you forget you are even in a city. This garden looks to be surrounded by converted artists' studios, and it was a pleasure to wake up every morning to the winter sun shining down on the various plants and sculptures. The bottom floor has an incredibly large living room with a dining table, a child's table, a well-equipped kitchen, a bathroom, and amazing stained-glass windows that catch the light from the garden. Stephanie and Xuan also have an enviable collection of jazz and literature that they generously left accessible to the guests, so we spent a number of nights drinking wine, listening to Keith Jarrett, and perusing their library (when we weren't changing baby diapers). Upstairs, on the second floor, there are two spacious bedrooms, a continuation of the aforementioned envious library, and a large and pleasant bathroom with a tub and washing machine. As if this wasn't enough, there is a 3rd-floor attic bedroom that is also completely charming and comfortable.
I'm realizing that this review is quickly reaching essay proportions, but there are just so many incredible qualities to this place that it's hard to know where to start and end. Also, I realize that I'm probably ruining a good secret by raving so effusively, but c'est la vie...
Thanks, Stephanie and Xuan! We'll be returning soon!