This is a fabulous flat, full of light and air yet amazingly quiet. It has an open, uncluttered, cultured feel to it. The kitchen is highly functional and well equipped. We used it to make several dinners and to host local friends.
The neighborhood is full of very good restaurants, boulangeries, organic(bio) and regular supermarkets. Best of all, you are a 5 minute walk from Marche Aligre and all of the wonderful small shops that surround it. There are 2 metro lines less than 5 minutes away. This is not a touristy neighborhood. It's the real Paris and it's lively and very safe.

Maria was a host extraordinaire. She explained how everything worked including all of the remotes for the tv, dvd, etc. as well as the very novel way (to me) of opening the windows along two different axes. She left a detailed guide to the 'hood and her recommendations were spot on. She also left us with a very well stocked kitchen - orange juice, milk, butter, tea, coffee, olive oil, vinegar, great salt, pepper and other spices. The flat was spotlessly clean. And yes, it is a flat. You have the whole top floor.