When our family of four (we have two boys,) were planning to move to Paris from the San Francisco Bay Area, we had a hard time trying to find a place to land initially so we could search for something more permanent once we were here. After some time, we came across the listing for Laurence’s place in the 15th arrondissement. From the photos, it looked just like what we wanted! It was full of light, clean, and not cluttered like some of the other places we had been researching. So we decided to chose this place, although we were a bit worried making the choice from afar- not being able to see it in person.
We ended up extending our stay there from 2 months to almost 3 1/2 months! (We were lucky that Laurence had the availability!..)
In person, the place looks exactly like the photos show- it is actually even more lovely in person! One of our favorite parts of the place, which is quintessentially French, was the idyllic, charming balcony! It was definitely not a necessity, but it was an amazing, and hard to find bonus!
By European/Parisian standards, the kitchen is quite large! It is equipped with all you need to comfortably make meals with; and we used the breakfast bar table on a daly basis! It also has a dishwasher, washer and dryer, which was a must for us!
Because we were moving across the world, we brought a lot of stuff and were concerned about being able to store all of it. Every room had drawer space for our items, and there were two large closets for hanging items.
The place is situated right next to the métro line 12, so this was very convenient! There are many bus lines around the apartment as well. (And for all of you Americans, we want to tell you that the buses here are MUCH nicer, cleaner, and more efficient than any city bus we have ever been on in the U.S.!) We almost prefer the buses to the métro because you can look out the windows when you are travelling across town! As well having access to all of these transportation conveniences, we also utilized the Velib bikes (standard and electric) which are located right outside the apartment on a daily basis! It is a very economical and convenient way to get around Paris, as there are hundreds of stations everywhere!
The location is ideal. There is a quaint plaza that has many restaurants and bars, only footsteps away. There are tons of stores, boutiques, boulangeries, etc. etc. in this same area. Several parks are nearby. As well as all of this, the 15th arrondissement is more of a family-centered neighborhood, which feels less touristy. For those who want to see the sights, the Eiffel Tower and the Invalides are both located less than a 30 min walk, and the Seine is about 20 mins. (Less by bike.) For all the other sights that are further away, (or for those who do not like biking or walking longer distances,) the public transport can get you to most of the tourist sights within 15-30 mins maximum.
We highly recommend this place! It was truly a pleasure to stay in this gem! Thank you Laurence!