Help with Paris apartment selection please!
Feb 27th, 2006, 09:22 AM
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Help with Paris apartment selection please!
I am currently looking for an affordable apartment in Paris for my family's 1 week stay next month and I found the following apartment at a very good rate--too good to be true in fact. Therefore, I am trying to determine whether there is any trade-offs. Location is of primary concern to me, so is it in a bad neigborhood? And, is it too far from the "actions"? Can you please help? The apartment is listed as on "Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth between Boulevard St Martin and Rue Reaumur in the 3rd arrondissement." The apartment is listed on NY Habitat, and I have not heard Foderites complain about this agency other than its prices being too high (not this particular case). Anything I should watch out for? Any comments/suggestions appreciated.
LAX
LAX
Feb 27th, 2006, 09:48 AM
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It's hard to say on the location -- some people would say that is too far from the action, and some wouldn't. It's an okay neighborhood as long as you don't expect anything glamorous, and it's not that far out. It's around the Arts et Metiers metro stop. It cannot be between bd St Martin and Reaumur because they are perpendicular to each other, so I'd say between bd St Marin and Temple metro stop.
It's not the most exciting neighborhood, but fine. There are a couple parks not too far away, and the Arts et Metier school.
I don't think that rate is too cheap, it is what I would expect for a place that size of that quality in that neighborhood. It's only a little over 400 sq ft, and a third floor walkup, very cheaply furnished, in a modestly-priced neighborhood. The rate is 608 euro a week, right? That's what I would expect. You may not have noticed, but it doesn't appear to have a full-size refrigerator, if that matters to you (looks like a minibar size thing, which is common in small Parisian apts).
NYHabitat isn't exactly an agency, I assume you know that. Their website even refers to themself as a sublet service, they just connect you with the owner and you rent from the owner.
It's not the most exciting neighborhood, but fine. There are a couple parks not too far away, and the Arts et Metier school.
I don't think that rate is too cheap, it is what I would expect for a place that size of that quality in that neighborhood. It's only a little over 400 sq ft, and a third floor walkup, very cheaply furnished, in a modestly-priced neighborhood. The rate is 608 euro a week, right? That's what I would expect. You may not have noticed, but it doesn't appear to have a full-size refrigerator, if that matters to you (looks like a minibar size thing, which is common in small Parisian apts).
NYHabitat isn't exactly an agency, I assume you know that. Their website even refers to themself as a sublet service, they just connect you with the owner and you rent from the owner.
Feb 27th, 2006, 10:35 AM
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Thanks for the quick responses.
WillTravel--I believe it's on the ground floor. I think it only has a sofa bed, which is fine with us (so no loft area).
Christina--I am not sure if you are talking about the same apartment as the one I am asking about. The one I am interested in is on the ground floor and the rate is much lower. Safety is more important than being in the actions, so I won't mind walking a few more blocks to get to where the actions are. Thanks.
LAX
WillTravel--I believe it's on the ground floor. I think it only has a sofa bed, which is fine with us (so no loft area).
Christina--I am not sure if you are talking about the same apartment as the one I am asking about. The one I am interested in is on the ground floor and the rate is much lower. Safety is more important than being in the actions, so I won't mind walking a few more blocks to get to where the actions are. Thanks.
LAX
Feb 27th, 2006, 11:22 AM
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You're right, it is a good rate, and it's a busy working class neighborhood and not at all dangerous. It is however not within the tourist core and will probably require taking transportation to get to most sights.
My first response was to be concerned that a ground floor apartment is less safe than one on an upper floor, but it appears that the building has an intercom at the entrance and bars on the windows to the courtyard, so if that feels OK to you, I imagine it's fine. the other thing is how tiny the place is. You mention an apartment for your "family" and it appears from the pictures that the only sleeping space is a sofa bed, which looks from the photos like one of those where the back drops down to make a flat surface with the seat. There doesn't appear to be enough room to open a traditional kind of sofabed.
My first response was to be concerned that a ground floor apartment is less safe than one on an upper floor, but it appears that the building has an intercom at the entrance and bars on the windows to the courtyard, so if that feels OK to you, I imagine it's fine. the other thing is how tiny the place is. You mention an apartment for your "family" and it appears from the pictures that the only sleeping space is a sofa bed, which looks from the photos like one of those where the back drops down to make a flat surface with the seat. There doesn't appear to be enough room to open a traditional kind of sofabed.
