The Bastille neighborhood is fantastic, right next to the marché d'Aligre, an open-air market that operates 6 days a week. The neighborhood is in transition; they are ripping up the street and putting bike lanes and essentially chasing away the cars, as is the case throughout Paris. This will make this neighborhood nicer. There are a lot of stairs. I love charging up the staircase (4 flights) 10 x a day because it means I can eat more...but people w/ mobility issues should think twice. Big cross breeze a plus in the apartment.