The apartment was just as described; very compact and functional but very French in style. The the arrangement to collect keys was very good and easy for us non-French speakers because Bepi organised an English speaking woman to meet and greet us. The area was vibrant with street life, bars, cafes, supermarkets and shops and within easy walking distance of two metro stations, Voltaire and Bastille, which makes carrying luggage easy. It was very hot during our stay - 31 degrees - and there is no aircon, so we had to keep the windows open during the night and it was noisy because of the street life.