I felt very luck to have stayed at Faina's house during my last trip to Paris. The apartment was clean and sunny and had everything I needed -- including a fully equipped kitchen. The neighborhood is a short walk away from the Père Lachaise cemetery and the Gambetta subway station where you can also find great bus connections to most of the important tourist destinations. The area around the apartment feels safe and residential, but light sleepers should be aware that you can hear some street noise especially on the weekends if you have the windows open in the warm weather. (Closing the windows blocks out the noise.)

Faina was out of town when I arrived, so she arranged for her friend Judith to greet me when I arrived and gave me a quick tour of the apartment with instructions. She also left a book with maps and directions to some of her favorite stores and restaurants in the neighborhood. Since she's a vegetarian, she also included information on where to find good vegetarian meals. I would be happy to stay here again!