Once I was through the front entrance to the complex I was impressed with the clean, brick walkway, the myriad of plants along the walk even in winter, the quietness and even the ease of entry with instructions. The apartment was almost exactly as pictured but the lamp by the chair shown in the picture was broken so I unplugged it. This was no problem because there was plenty of light for me to read. I could go just about two blocks to the supermarket, the bakery, and a book store for my newspaper. I was able to cook there and used the coffee, salt, and pepper plus some spices that were left in the apartment. I did have trouble regulating the heat because the first weekend was very cold outside but I figured that out. I did not need to contact the host for these problems. I contacted her to get the code for the internet and she responded immediately. This was my 15th time to Paris and my longest stay, visiting a family I knew outside the city over Christmas and the New Year's.