This is a fabulous apartment ideally situated in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris so it close to everything. Communication with Claude has been easy and prompt. He met us outside the building and assisted us up the stairs to the second floor where his newly renovated apartment is situated.
We walked into the apartment and the first thing we noticed was that it was sparkling clean. Technically it’s a one BR apartment with a fold out couch for a third person or a second couple however we booked it just for ourselves and it was ideal. The apartment has brand new appliances and the fit out is stylish and minimalist – that’s not to say that you don’t have everything you need – but there’s no clutter or extra stuff to get in the way. When you travel, one of life’s great pleasures is to wash and dry your clothes, and we were able to do both in Claude’s apartment.
The apartment is located near Sentiere station which can get you to any connection and sits at the top of Rue des Petits Carreaus, a vibrant street full of shops, restaurants, bars, bakeries, charcutiers, fresh fruit and vege shops, and vendors selling meats of all kinds and it feels like it is always alive. You can eat high end or grab a baguette and everything in between. We never had a problem getting a table but sometimes we had to wait – the wait staff on the street are encouraging but not pushy and they will move tables to accommodate you. Just be aware, Paris is a city of smokers – cigarettes, vapes and weed, and smoking at restaurants is accommodated at outside tables which is really where you want to sit to watch life on the street pass you by.
The apartment is also just around the corner from Rue d'Aboukir one of Paris’s 50 vertical gardens and close to a mural of Tin Tin and the Captain getting up close and personal. If you get sick of eating great French food and want something simple, then at the doorstep is a great Korean take away who do a magnificent dumpling soup.
We stayed a week and wished we could have stayed longer. There are two flights of narrow stairs to get up to the apartment and I hate stairs – but would it stop me staying there again? Absolutely not. I have no hesitation recommending Claude’s apartment and hopefully I will return to Paris one day and stay there again.