Mahya2

Dear Francophiles and Fodorites,

Some advice needed here. I'm looking for a studio apt in Paris in the 5th or 6th arr. and came across one who has reduced his price to 425 Euro.

The street is rue Daubenton and I'm really not so familiar with that area. (I was hoping to find a big bargain in the 6th arr. LOLOLOL) anyway I see there is an apartment hotel on that street, but that is not where his apt is....but I also see there is a mosque on the street.

Now I'm wondering if there will be a minaret with calls to prayers echoing through the streets five times a day, as is normal I think for Muslim mosdques.

Is that why he has reduced the price? What do you think? Should I take the chance ?

Also there is another on Rue Lacepede which is reasonable, but I know nothing of these areas.

Does anybody here know anything of the areas and if they would be safe for a lady traveling alone ?

Thanks for any and all advice.

M.

mariebut

Hi Mayha2, maybe if you could give us the link to the apartment and the company through which you rent it, others may be able to help with recommendations.

Mahya2

actually Marie, there is no link - it was a private ad, no rental agency. But it's off rue Mouffetard.

And the other is close to rue Monge.

janisj

If there is no link - where did you find the ad??

W/o seeing photos of the flat is it awfully darn difficult to give you much advice . . . . .

Mahya2

As I said, it was a private ad not on a rental agency site. I have seen pics of the apt and it looks okay. That;s not the problem.

The problem is I am not familiar with the area and the street it's on - and the fact that there is a mosque on the street . Does anyone know that street in the 5th arr. and that area? Is it a safe area? Are calls to Muslim prayers blasted on the loudspeaker at the 5 hours of the day - I'm not being facetious. I'm serious.

I wouldn't want an apartment under a church whose bells went off every hour nor under a minaret whose loudspeaker and prayers went off 5 times a day.

So here's the question. Does anyone kinow that street and area?

Thanks

Travelnut

We stayed on rue Lacepede in 2002, Hotel St Christophe, around the corner from former Hotel Monge. Heard no minerets or church bells from there, nor read of any in the multitude of comments on Hotel Monge. Nice market square at Place Monge, walkable to Jardin des Plantes, just by 'des Arenes de Lutece' Roman ruin. Near top of rue Mouffetard market street.

Maybe it's cheap b/c there is no elevator?

kerouac

There are no minarets and no call to prayer in Paris. This is an agreement between the Muslim authorities dating back to the construction of the main Paris mosque. The numerous churches in the city are a far greater source of noise pollution.

adrienne

Sorry I can't help with the call to prayer but I've visited the mosque a couple of times, the last time for a 2 hour tour plus tea in the garden and didn't hear any call to prayer. I can't remember when the calls are but I think there is one at noon. If so I was there at noon and there was no call.

It's a very quiet area, close to a great street market - rue Mouffetard. There are many cafes off Mouffetard and at the top of Mouffetard is Place de la Contrascarpe with nightlife.

The mosque has a restaurant around the corner from the mosque entrance with cous cous and tagine at very reasonable prices. There's also a very nice tea garden where you can sit under trees and sip mint tea.

I have stayed not far from there, just off Place de la Contrascarpe (at the top of rue Mouffetard). What I wouldn't like about the area just around the mosque is that it would be too quiet for me. I like to walk out the door and see lots of activity and people.

Guenmai

I've been to the mosque for tea, in past years, and was there a couple of hours and heard no call to prayer. The area is fine. As for the apartment, photos can be deceiving.I've rented apartments in other countries for years. I choose to go with a reputable agency. Plus, how many square meters is the apartment?

I rented an apartment, in Paris, in the spring through vacationinparis.com. and couldn't have been happier. I thought the price was fine for what I got. I rented in my old neighborhood of the 6th, bordering the 5th. The company was great and the apartment quite nice. I've done a detailed report on it that can be found under "Guenmai's Paris Apartment Rental Experience", if you're interested. Happy Travels!

janisj

Mahya2: Where did you find the ad? You answered my question by saying it was not on an "agency site". That is fine - lots of flats are not handled by agencies. But you found the ad somewhere.

The source can be as illuminating as photos when trying to decide if a place is legitimate or not.

The area is fine. But you asked if the Apartment is too good to be true --- dunno . . . . .

Mahya2

Guenmai,

I did try through Vacation In Paris but they are completely booked up for the areas I wanted.

Kerouac,
Many thanks for the information. Is the Rue Daubenton the main mosque in
Paris ?

Travelnut,

also thanks for the information on Lacepede - sounds like that's the one I'll book if it' still available and I can still find which agency I found it through.

You have no idea how many agencies I've looked through
and most with tips from you Fodorites.

Many thanks to all.

M.

Christina

I've stayed in that area and like it and I'm sure the price reduction has nothing to do with the mosque. If it did, it would have been lower to begin with. No one can see, but 425 euro for a studio in that area is not that extraordinarily cheap to be unbelievable.

He probably reduced it because he wants to get it rented during the period you want it. We can't speculate because you aren't giving any information. LIke maybe it is rented the rest of that month, and there are a few days gap and unlikely someone else will want the same time. Maybe he has something else to do and just wants to wrap up the business arrangements.

Those areas are perfectly safe. If you are worried about mosques and prime areas of Paris, I'm surprised you aren't more leery of renting an apt. from some stranger without an agency that you just found on the web randomly and know nothing about. I would be more leery of that (financially).

I'm trying to rent an apt. in that area right now, because I've stayed there before and like it, and I've seen plenty around 550-700 per week, so 425 euro isn't unbelievable -- especially as it may be lower level in space or appearance than I'm looking for, or on ground floor, or 6th floor without elevator, etc. All affect price. I do know the streets and areas more where I want to stay, and some would be more expensive areas than others. I wouldn't want to stay on rue Buffon, for example. Last time I rented an apt. in that area, it was just around the corner from Daubenton.

The last thing you need to worry about in noise is minarets, more likely are motor scooters.

Parisianhome has a studio on that street for around 575 euro, Parisaddress has a large 1 BR for 715 euro,

MrNuke

Mahya2,
Le Grande Mosquée de Paris is the only Mosque in Paris.

Apres_Londee

Paris has a lot more than one mosque! The street I stayed on had two and as others have already pointed out, they don't broadcast calls to prayer (just like in any other western city)

Mahya2

This is so frustrating.
Lacepede is rented for the month of September
I had wanted to visit Paris for two weeks - at these prices I just may have to cut it to one week.

Christina,

Okay, I'll bite. Why wouldn't you rent on Buffoon?

Mahya2

Relief !

I have found a site that gives much better photos of the apartments, availability information and you can easily see the arrondissment:
although I think a 20% agency fee is a bit high,or is that normal? anyway the site is Paristay dot com. Even if you dont book on that site, you can better see the same apartments listed on other sites.

And there is a lot of availability for my time frame in September that I can finally see through this site.

So now here is the question and still looking for advice.

Since I like to be near the
Luxembourg Gardens, and also transportation and grocery and restaurants,

Would it be better to take a small apartment in the 5th on Rue Boulangers, 3rd floor with elevator ? but more a student bookstore area it seems,

or an apartment in the 6th
on Rue du Regard but the ground floor ? (thinking safety here ).

Does anyone know how is bus transportation from Rue du Regard area which is a couple of blocks from Bon Marche ? Is there bus travel on Rue Vaugirard going East to West and vice versa ?