Staying at Franck's flat was a truly sublime experience. The photographs truly don't do the place justice. I can't imagine another place on airbnb is as vibrant or has nearly as much character.

The small square outside the apartment features cafes or restaurants on three sides, and on the fourth side—literally steps away from the apartment—is a quiet, tree-canopied stairway to Sacre Cour. Rue Muller is choc-a-bloc with unique ateliers and little curio shops. When the proprietor of one learned we were staying at Frank's place he insisted we contact him if we needed anything at all. On another occasion, after a dinner for six at Petit Bleu, a tiny but bustling Moroccan restaurant, I discovered they they didn't accept credit cards, and I did not have enough cash; the owner simply told me to bring it later that night or even the next day. In other words this is a true neighborhood, in the best sense of the word.

It's a testament to the magic and wonder of Frank's funhouse that despite some drawbacks my two daughters (12 and 9) and l would return in a heartbeat. So, if you're a stickler for tidy corners and dust-free furnishings; are planning on spending time in front of the TV (couldn't get it to work!); need a metro stop just outside your door; or wish to avoid some of the less desirable neighborhoods surrounding Montmartre: stay somewhere else! But if you place a priority on the peak Parisian experience—alive, diverse, and bursting with color and music and lights—you won't do better than this.