Fabienne's place is a calm, spacious, and well-designed studio about a block from the charming Canal St.-Martin. With its high ceiling and tall windows it feels larger than the pictures show. The building is probably 100 years old but the apartment is beautifully updated, and everything works (well, the TV remote was broken but Fabienne helped me download a phone app so that I could watch TV). The elegant sofa opens into a very comfortable bed, and the espresso machine was a life saver. In addition to central heating, mirrored radiant heating panels on the walls kept the place comfortable. During these dark months I would perhaps bring a small reading light, but in the summer it will be plenty bright (but still cool). All in all, it's a place you feel good walking in the door. Maybe better for one than for two, because there's not a lot of storage space.
Fabienne was lovely; she met me in person and showed me the essentials, including homemade apple jelly she had made from fruit from the trees in her country house, and she shared her book of recommended local shops and restaurants. She quickly responded to any questions and was willing to come by to resolve minor problems.
The district is interesting. The picturesque Canal St.-Martin, a couple minutes away, is still a working canal--one day I watched a barge pass through a lock. The canal is an outdoor party destination for young people, though the apartment is far enough away that you wouldn't hear this noise in the summer (obv. no parties in December). The neighborhood is primarily residential, with a mix of young and old, and lots of local restaurants. You'll walk maybe 10 minutes west to the nearest Métro, but there's plenty of the "real Paris" to discover just walking around. And there's a fabulous internationally known bakery just off the nearest shopping street.
Definitely recomment--Fabienne's place is on my short list of places to return to.
(pro tip: get fast Covid testing--results in half an hour--at the Pharmacie at the Gare de l'Est--local pharmacies often had lines, especially on weekends)