Iwan2go

We're thinking of renting a lovely studio apartment on rue de l'Hotel Colbert. It says that it overlooks a quiet courtyard and I love the decorating. I think it's down the street from the Hotle Meilia Colbert.

Can you tell me what the area is like there? I know some people have described parts of the 5th as a bit tacky.

Thank you very much!

Suzanne2

I think that is a nice area. The only tacky part of the 5th I know is the area with the cheap restaurants. Rue de la Harp I believe it is called. Even that area is not bad.

Michel_Paris

It is prime, being so near to the Seine. One way street. Yes, there are those restaurants (Huchette). But there is also a jazz club nearby, classical music concerts at St Julien le Puavre (oldest church in Paris), and some good restaraunts along the Seine and in area....and Notre Dame, St Chapelle, Seine cruises,etc..

You are also right at the RER station to the airport.

Noise would have been my concern, but it seems to be taken care of.

Someone else here rented in that area...

Iwan2go

Sounds great! I'm hoping the person who rented in the area sees this as well - maybe it's the same apartment.

Guenmai

It's a nice area. I go to concerts at the church regularly. Happy Travels!

Christina

I'd call parts of the 13th pretty tacky, as well as many other parts of Paris. It's pretty darn tacky around Clichy/Pigalle, as well as up near Sacre Coeur and around Les Halles and Chatelete. There are ltos of other areas also I'd call tacky.

I don't really like it around that church myself, it is right near all that tourist stuff and just off rue de la Hachette. But others like the area, particularly first-timers, I imagine.

avalon

I like the area because many sites are walkable, good restaurants nearby....not on rue de Ptomaine ( Huchette), good transportation options too

kerouac

It is the heart of the Latin Quarter. On the down side, it is in the dead center of the tourist zone with quite a few "traps" and higher prices. On the up side, it is a super active area and interesting 24 hours a day, as well as being super central to lots of places of interest to tourists.

And frankly, if you need to buy ordinary things or want to eat normal food at a normal price without being drowned in other tourists, you really don't have to walk more than 500 meters.

kerouac

Avalon, the standard nickname of rue de la Huchette is "Bacteria Alley" - but in reality, none of those restaurants would still be open if they were poisoning people.

Iwan2go

Thanks everybody. I know that we walked around the area before - maybe 6 years ago- but I cannot remember exactly what streets. I do recall all the tourist restaurants and student crowds on the square near St. Michel, and we went to a concert at St. Severin (which seemed fine). Rue L'hotel Colbert is a very short street, and close to the Seine - maybe we can hotfoot it out towards the river and avoid all the tourist stuff.

In the past we've stayed in a hotel in the 5th closer to Odeon (liked that location), an apartment in the 1st at the Palais Royal gardens (heaven), and a hotel in the 7th (a bit too far out for us). I've been looking and looking for an apartment I love, and this one is just beautiful and reasonably priced...so I'm trying to decide if we'll be happy there.

I also found one I loved on the Ile St. Louis, but because we're arriving on the Saturday before Easter, the offices of Guest Service Apartments is closed til Tuesday, which makes me slightly unsettled.

Hum. Any comments? Maybe I should post and ask if anyone has rented GS Apartments w/o being met upon check-in.

avalon

I think Rue de Ptomaine sounds so much more French than Bacteria Alley! I'm sure they are perfectly safe but I'll still give it a miss!

Suzanne2

We ate at a place there on our first trip to Paris. We thought it was so quaint the way the waiter was outside ushering the patrons in. Well, we have lived to tell about it. LOL

Travelnut

Don't forget that you can put your apt. address into the Google Street View map and 'walk' around your neighborhood.