latin quarter vs les halles
 

we are renting an apartment in Paris. Two good candidates. Which area would you recommend we stay in.

the Quartier Latin.

What Michael said

What Micheal and Wren said...

I wouldn't choose either of those areas, but of the two I'd pick the Latin Quarter.

What Michael, Wren and chicagolori said

Wha StCirq said....ha

Agreed - Latin Quarter. I'm staying in the Marais and am thinking, "You know, next time I think I'd like to stay in the Latin Quarter."

Neither of those..maybe you can give the exact addresses for more detailed answers..by Latin Quarter do you mean the 5th? I never understood xactly what the boundaries of the "quarter" are...

Ichroman

It's a good idea to keep your questions on one topic together. You can find your original thread by clicking on your name at the top.

Cheers

Sarvo

I prefer Les Halles, but the exact street would make a difference. There are streets that I absolutely would not want. (Same thing goes for the Latin Quarter.)

In any case, the boundaries of both of those areas are quite fuzzy.

many thanks to all. here are the two addresses
3 Rue de la Harpe or
77 Rue d’Aboukir

Most definitely rue d'Aboukir then. Rue de la Harpe would be like being a member of a Greek circus.

...horrid street!! Although you would never run out of souvlaki and waffle options!

Agree - with above on Rue de la Harpe.

Did you look for places in the Marais or in the 6th - I think both are much more appealing than Les Halles or the 5th

Montparnasse.

Digging around on this and other sites recently I was reminded that the Palais-Royal area might be worth checking out, particularly for those who have done the Left Bank thing before. For instance, I see that the Palais-Royal became a favourite of Barrie Kerper, editor of that excellent anthology Paris; The Collected Traveler. What do others think?

Apologies for partly hijacking this thread, but the Palais-Royal idea thrown in as a possible alternative to the Latin Quarter or Les Halles, being close to both, but - from what I can tell - quieter than the former and safer/ more pleasant than the latter (and at a cost no doubt).

Frankly, 77 rue d'Aboukir isn't even in the Les Halles area, as far as I'm concerned. It is in the 'Sentier' which is the heart of the garment district -- very busy during the day and quiet at night. Rue d'Aboukir is famous for being the street to go to buy shop window dummies. It is not far from the Grands Boulevards area, which is where European tourists (particularly Germans) spend their time.

If you go with rue d'Aboukir, you should definitely read "Almost French" by Sarah Turnbull, an Australian journalist who moved to Paris and lives in the Sentier district.