palione

I hope homey hits a chord wih you all. I want an area where it is beautiful and not necessarily convienent to everything. We are not looking for the best deal but truly a cool neighborhood in Paris and Venice. Mahalo from Palione

luvparee

We stayed in an apartment in the 7th this summer and loved our "neighborhood home." We were a 3 minute walk to Champs du Mars and the Eiffel Tower and were in the rue St. Dominique/rue de Grenelle area (and just a couple block walk to Rue Cler). We had everything we needed to "survive" in Paris! www.parisperfect.com.

They are not inexpensive, but we had great fun buying market/take-away items on several occasions and dining in at night with the Eiffel Tower sparkling outside our dining room window. Can't get better than that!!!

Hope you find what you're looking for and have a great time!

joy/luvparee

Michel_Paris

I'm thinking if you want homey, perhaps it would need to be a low tourist density area. I stayed in the 16th arr. and I would think it would qualify. Nice, bit upscale, where I was there was a local street market couple of days a week for meat and vegs, cheese shop, flower shop, chocolate shop, small restaurants,etc..

MaureenB

We chose to stay in the 7th because we wanted a more quiet, residential-type area. We were happy at the Hotel de la Bourdonnais, for its location on a beautiful tree-lined avenue, with a view of the Eiffel Tower from our quad room #503. The Rue Cler market is nearby, an indoor market nextdoor, across from the Champs de Mars and les Invalides. We were very happy with our 'homey' neighborhood. Not active at night, really, though, so don't expect a lot of entertainment after dark.

Lily

In Venice, we enjoyed staying in the Dorsudoro neighbourhood as it is quieter and more residential. We stayed in the Hotel Galleria right next to the Accademia Gallery.

Danna

Another vote for the 16th! We had an apartment around the corner from the Trocedaro, shops, restaurants, schools, markets all at our fingertips. But the beauty of a real residential street.

mycatmiko

bookmarking

Travelnut

The 17th around metro: Villiers is quite nice, not one tourist 'site' within 'sight'. Fun market street on rue de Levis, carrousel across from the metro entrance, corner cafes, beautiful Parc Monceau a few blocks over.. very nice and non-touristed.

We have also stayed in the 15th around metro: Convention... tree-lined boulevard, more corner cafes, the expected carrousel.. stayed at a small hotel and watched the owners get their children off to school in the mornings.

Now we stay in the 14th by Denfert-Rochereau...market street rue Daguerre, of course - corner cafes, boulangeries, chocolate shops, pocket parks...also lovely.

zooey91

For Venice, I'd second the Dorsudoro suggestion. You feel like you're in a neighborhood and away from wall to wall tourists.

We stayed at the Hotel American, which was on a small canal, and felt somewhat off the beaten path (despite the name of the hotel).

Jim

Digbydog

I agree with Lily! Dorsoduro is a wonderful area of Venice. Venice has become so overrun with tourists and cruise ship passengers, but Dorsoduro still feels like a place where Venetians live. There is even a grocery! The areas around St. Mark's and Rialto are filled with shops catering to tourists.

We spent a Saturday evening in Campo Santa Margherita (in Dorsoduro) watching families eating gelato, and kids playing soccer and riding bikes. It was very peaceful after the bustle on the other side of the canal.

MaureenB

We didn't stay in the Dorsoduro neighborhood, but it did feel like a nice area when we walked around there. We looked at the Hotel American, because it seemed like a good little hotel, and I put this in my trip report:

"Hotel American, three-stars, San Vio, 628 Accademia, www.hotelamerica.com. An “antique palace”, it also faces a nice little canal, the San Vio, in the Dorsuduro area, with a pleasant first floor terrace café.

For a simpler choice, the Casa Rezzonico (which we had also considered for this visit, as its rates are in the range of the Hotel Riva), Dorsoduro, Fondamenta Gherardini 2813, www.casarezzonico.it. It is in a quiet, out-of-the-way location, near a small campo, close to the Accademia. It has an attractive garden area in the center, which some rooms overlook, and where breakfast buffet is served. A good budget choice."

Good luck in your search.
>-

kerouac

A cool neighborhood in Paris would quite far from the 7th or the 16th, which are top of the line bourgeois.
Travelnut has some good suggestions, to which I would add the Buttes Chaumont area in the 19th, the Gambetta area in the 20th, the Jules Joffrin area in the 18th, or if you really enjoy a nitty gritty ethnic mix, Belleville, Oberkampf or Place Clichy.

Asty

I agree also. The Dorsoduro area is great. Stayed there for a month in April in an apartment just off Campo Santa Margherita. Perfect place to see a real slice of Venetian life, yet only a 10 min walk to San Marco.

SloJan2

Another vote for Dorsudoro. Beautiful, quiet, trees and I could actually imagine living there.

knoxvillecouple

We stayed at the Pensione Accademia in Dorsoduro and loved it. It's "almost" on the Grand Canal, has beautiful garden in the back (and one in the front where we had our breakfast). Staff very pleasant and helpful. And you can walk, get lost, watch children play soccer, etc. and not feel the rush of San Marco Square. Web site for Pensione Accademia is:

http://tinyurl.com/2comvb

KC

cindyjo

2nd the recomendation of pensione accademia. we stayed there 5 years ago and it was wonderful. easy access to everything but very quiet and comfortable. very helpful english speaking staff. we had debated between venice and paris for our next trip. paris won but would have pursued the accademia again if going to venice.

Michel_Paris

I'd second the 16th in Paris. Yes, it's upscale. But if you want a location where you will see ~no tourists (Marmottan would be one exception), where you'll have a good selection of shops and restaurants, it would be one to consider. Chance to see how Parisians live their daily life.

Robespierre

Montparnasse is more like a little village than an urban neighborhood. Any hotel in 75014 will be fine.