Lilian's Place is quite special, so it deserves a detailed, thoughtful review! After several trips to Paris, we simply wanted to hang out in a fun neighborhood, walk a lot, go to parks, and enjoy spontaneous moments that Paris always provides. This apartment was a perfect base from which to explore those options.
Check-in:
It was easy, with good communication from Lilian as to how it would go. She offers accurate, clear directions for navigating to the apartment.
Location:
We wanted to stay near, but not right on, Place de la Contrescarpe. Lilian's balcony offers a peek of it. The center fountain area of Contrescarpe was undergoing renovation, so we were disappointed, but it will soon be beautiful again! Our balcony looked down on a nice little intersection of shops and cafes.
Diagonally across Contrescarpe is Rue Mouffetard, a pedestrian street that provides a fun walk down the hill, past shops, cafes, creperies (you will need your daily crepe!), and a market.
Nighttime in the neighborhood is full of youthful energy! The cafe/bar below us fills up, the noise starts, and lasts into the night. BUT, when the apartment windows are closed, it is calm! We liked having the Paris nightlife nearby, yet we could easily get a good night's sleep.
A great local, less-touristy area is on Rue Monge. As you exit the apartment, turn immediately left onto Rue Rollin, eventually head down 'cascading' steps, and voila...Rue Monge! Besides great local shops, you can access the Place Monge metro stop, a convenient connector to other places in Paris. Next to that is our fav little market (Wed, Fri, Sun), with a little of everything: veggies, meats, fish, deli food, jewelry, clothes, etc.
The Apartment:
It is clean, airy, has various, thoughtful features that rank it higher than some places of similar price range, such as:
Noise-insulating windows. Good shades inside and out.
Plenty of storage.
Good lighting in each room. Lots of outlets.
Shower is good - not big, but better than most. Excellent water pressure. The hair blower is high quality!
Washing Machine: Good quality. Use the short cycle (or it takes forever!). There is a good drying rack, as well as a wall heater.
Kitchen: Small, but quite adequate. Good selection of dinner ware, adequate pots and pans, and appliances. Very nice dining area.
Bedroom: Good closet storage. Bed was comfortable.
Living Room: Nice sofa. The room is full of light. The corner balcony is lovely!
The only challenge was the toilet - in an extremely tiny space. But, this is common in Paris city apartments. It is in a separate space from the shower/laundry room.
Apartment's overall ambiance: Just enough charm, but not too 'cutesy', not cluttery.
Lilian is an excellent host. She is sincere and attentive to all communication, and offers a safe, quality, charming oasis in the middle of Paris!