We were looking for a large place in Paris to have Christmas with our son. Florence's flat was exactly what we needed. It has a full kitchen where we had breakfast most mornings. We also were able to cook Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner. The place was big enough for 4 people to eat and sleep. Although we didn't meet Florence, our son did, we found her generous and accommodating. She kept in touch with us over the duration of our stay by email and texting.
Some warned us about the Gare du Nord area, suggesting that it wasn't the safest. There are many places in Paris to be careful, but I didn't actually find any reason for extra vigilance in Florence's neighbourhood. One of our favourite streets to wander along was the Rue St. Denis very close to Florence's place. You can get everything that you need in this neighbourhood. We used the fresh food market, Marche Saint-Quentin, two blocks away a couple of times during our stay. Yes, there are bigger and better markets in Paris, but this one is close and open most days. We also bought basics at the Carrefour grocery one block over.