Canal St Martin is a lively neighbourhood without being too busy - I felt at home. there are lots of cafes and interesting shops. The apartment is pretty much what you see on the site - it is stylish and comfortable. I stayed with my brother and we were fine though I wouldn't want more than two people staying for my liking. It was amazingly quiet - at home in Australia I can hear the traffic start to build in the morning but there it was beauifully quite. The down side was that it is on the fourth floor with no lifts - it is a challenge getting the luggage up and down. On the positive it was good exercise. The beds were both comfortable and the pull out couch was easy to set up and put away. So all in all I would recommend it.