I contacted Ash on relatively short notice regarding his apartment's availability and, luckily, it was. I stayed at the apartment for 10 days during a trip that was both work and vacation. For me, Ash's apartment was perfect. Upon making the reservation, Ash was very responsive to messages and was, gratefully, flexible on my arrival time. On the day I arrived, Ash met me at the apartment to give a tour and to show me how everything worked. Ash is a really nice guy, and has made a great home for guests in Paris. The apartment is very user-friendly and I did not have any issues at all during my stay. As described, Ash's apartment felt brand new - it was extremely clean (spotless, in fact) without even a bit of clutter. The apartment has great new furniture including a very comfortable sofabed, and a dining table / desk that provided a great spot to work. The apartment has wifi which worked perfectly for me during my stay. As the apartment faces a courtyard, it is calm and quiet and has great windows to let in fresh air and natural light. At night, the apartment is silent and I slept great. The apartment has a nice, tall shower which is not always common in Europe, so that was also a welcome surprise. In the new renovation, all of the details were well considered the finishings felt very high-end. It was nice to be in a place that felt like a classic Parisian building, but with many modern touches. It was nice to have an elevator in the building to come and go with luggage, but since the Ash's apartment is on the 2nd floor, you will not need to rely on it during your visit. The building is clean and quiet. Outside, the neighborhood was well-lit, just 'lively' enough with cafe's, shops and and art school nearby - and it felt very safe. Regarding the neighborhood, Paris' 9th is one of my favorites. The apartment is close to many restaurants / bars / grocery stores, as well as to the metro, bikes and larger train lines. Gare du Nord is a short walk (less than 5 minutes) and, surprisingly, you won't feel that you are living by a busy train station. I came into Paris by train from CDG airport and left on the Eurostar, so this was a great convenience. The church bells of the eglise St. Vincent de Paul, just across from the building, added to the charm of the area. I prefer getting around Paris by walking or using the Velib bike system, and this apartment provides a great starting point to any direction you want to go - quick walks to Montmartre, Etienne-Marcel, Pigalle, the Grands Magasins... Too many to mention. And the closest metro (Poissoniere on line 7) is just a block away. Thank you, Ash, for your hospitality. I hope I get the chance to come back and stay at your place again sometime...