Julien was a helpful and solid host, who was patient when we had trouble getting to the place after our Euro SIM cards didn't work and we basically had no phones. Sorry, Julien! He also happily and speedily came by to fix a minor problem for us.
The apartment is cozy and a good size for two people. It's in a cute building with nice residents who always said hello. The neighborhood itself is one of the coolest I have ever seen - reminds me of Williamsburg NYC about 10 years ago, but much prettier, and with a calmer pace of life. We quickly had our favorite bakery and grocery store nearby and could make a decent go at pretending we lived in this neighborhood. Tons of dining, nightlife, and good strolls nearby, as well as my favorite park in the city, Buttes-Chaumont. It's close to the metro, which can be taken to all the major tourist sites. It can take 20-30 minutes to get to some of them, but you will be very glad you are staying in this real, bustling, vibrant, and diverse neighborhood instead of down in the Disneyland near the Eiffel tower. We would go out once a day, be tourists, and come back to our lovely spot. The only downside is some urban noise in the apartment (people talking, a crying baby, road sounds, Saturday night revelry from the street) but heck, again, this is a real neighborhood in a dense urban area. If it's not the summer and you can keep your windows closed it should be quiet indeed.