We were the lucky ones to have had the opportunity to stay in Jenny and Gerard’s magnificent apartment for several months!
The apartment is very special for anywhere in Paris: spacious, bright, and quiet. It is located on the sixth floor of a relatively new building situated in the interior of a block in the 11th arrondissement. It has an abundance of windows with memorable views of surrounding apartment houses, rooftops with their chimneys and spectacular sunrise and sunset images. When you look down from the kitchen window you can see a small park where children love to play. The furnishings are elegant and comfortable and we slept very well. The highlight is the great room with a well-equipped kitchen and French doors opening to a fabulous terrace garden, which added space for dining, reading and entertaining. In addition to the inside space, the location was also perfect! The 11th arrondissement is removed from all the hecticness, yet 15 minutes walking distance from Bastille Square and 20-30 minutes to the Marais, the Seine and Notre Dame. Metro Line 9 is literally right outside the gate to the apartment complex by which you can reach virtually anywhere in the city, even on the Left Bank, within 20 minutes, with one transfer at the most. To get to Trocadero (Eiffel Tower) you just stay on 9 all the way. The best thing about the 11th as far as I am concerned is that it is a vibrant, young and diverse neighborhood with lots of families and people of all ages. We found Parisians and people choosing to live in Paris extremely welcoming, friendly and interesting as well as patient with our French language learning. Also, and maybe most importantly for some, there are fabulous restaurants and cafes everywhere, especially on nearby Rue de Charonne. Our favorite cafe/pub was Le Leopard, just around the corner – lots of fun and great steaks. For coffee and tea, Cafe Moco on Voltaire is a deliciously sweet place for sitting with friends and meeting new people. Also, the neighborhood has plenty of stores of all types to buy groceries, including organic (for which we recommend above all “Roots” on Rue Léon Froh, where a little English is spoken and the food is fresh from the farm….they also have a small lunch menu and a homemade pastry of the day…truly special!).
As for Jenny and Gerard, I can only say they took care of us in every way. They responded immediately to any requests. They are lovely people, but also completely reliable and professional.

In closing, we could not have selected a better place in all of Paris to spend time, learn about the lifeway, culture and to make new friends with the people of this most enchanting city in the world.