Stayed in this apartment for exactly one week. Before arriving, I picked this apartment based on its wrap around balcony and its general location.
Getting there: The keys are very authentically Parisian and check-in will have to be done in-person. I took a taxi there from the airport because I was afraid of getting lost for 50€ but you can take the train (RER) to Châtelet–Les Halles and get there for 10€. It’s a 5-7 minute walk to the apartment from that station. Not all of the metro stations have direct access to the RER so this is actually a major bonus.
Location: You will absolutely love being in this part of town! This was my 3rd time and Paris and I knew I didn’t want to be so close to the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower because in the evenings it’s either super expensive or super dead. This apartment is healthy walk to some of the major museums but I walked almost everywhere except to Mont Martre. This area really comes alive at night as it’s near the wonderful Rues that are full of Parisienne diners on the patios and during the day those rues have all these great boutiques to explore. I definitely learned that Parisians love a late dinner so eating around sunset the streets still might be empty but go after 8 PM and Paris really comes alive on the rues behind this apartment building. If you want to experience the actual atmosphere of Paris or what it’s like for locals or Paris life outside of the museums carve out some time in the evenings to walk the Rues. Just follow the lights. The metro station that’s a block away from the apartment will take you almost everywhere you need to go. There is another one about a 7 minute walk that I needed only twice and the other one 7 minutes in the opposite direction I only used for the airport. If you do the “haunted Paris” AirBnB experience (highly recommend) it serendipitously drops you off minutes away from the apartment.
The apartment: Went in they dead of winter and outside temps were ranging 30s - 40s Fahrenheit and the apartment heater namely the bedroom one always kept me super cozy and warm. I never got around to cooking so I can’t speak to the functions of the stove, dishwasher as I didn’t use them myself but there is a generous amount of cooking oil, spices, tools and table settings. The fridge is smaller but perfectly functional for my needs of storing water and snacks that I picked up from the grocery store downstairs (such a bonus). I never ran out of fridge space even with all my leftover boxes. I did use the washing machine with my own laundry supplies and it worked fine but as the apartment instructions note it does take a long long time. The shower had great water temp and pressure and I loved that it had the rainfall water head plus the hand shower. The only thing to note here is that it is in a smaller style corner water closet. If you’ve travelled anywhere else in Europe you might have already come across this type of shower as they are quite common. I’m 5’6” and it didn’t affect me in any way but just be aware for a super tall individual the elbow wingspan area might be more limited. There is only one tv in the apartment but it is the size of a computer monitor and is disproportionately small to the size of the living room. It does have access to Netflix. Even though no one comes to Paris to watch tv as a solo traveler I did have a need for the TV in the late evenings and from the couch I found myself squinting. I ended up using my iPad as a tv in the room and never had any problems streaming.
The building: It might have been the New Years time frame but the apartment building was very very quiet and only ever passed 2 persons on the stairs during my time there. There is two side neighbors and never heard a peep from the left one and only heard the right side neighbor once toward the end of my stay. To get to the actual apartment you have to pass three doors before the apartment door so there is a sense of safety built into that. There’s the main building door, a door to go up past the staircase and another leading into a tiny foyer shared with the other two neighbors. Due to the age of the building each door/lock must be unlocked and locked behind you with the key this can be a little tedious and time consuming. Sometimes I thought the keys had a mind of their own but I kept reminding myself that this was authentic Paris! If you’re the type to lose things just be aware that locksmiths in France are incredibly expensive so replacing these keys might be a nightmare. I didn’t lose them but it was borderline my biggest worry when I carried them around with me. The elevator worked on my arrival but not on my departure. The apartment is on the second floor.
Safety: For context, I was a solo-female traveler for this trip. There was some light loitering in the near vicinity of the apartment but it ebbed and flowed with each day. Ultimately I felt safe while walking to and from the apartment from the early morning to about midnight. I never had a weird moment or anyone approach me.
Ultimately: All its little quirks made me fall in love with this apartment in Paris and I would happily return.