Neighborhood advice in Paris?
 

I'm visiting Paris with my boyfriend from Dec 26th - Jan 5th. It's my first trip. We booked a hotel in the Left bank for Dec 26th - 31st, but would like to switch locations for the remaining days. Any suggestions of another neighborhood I could look to stay in? I will be looking to rent an apt, so it need not necessarily be an area with hotels. I live in the East Village of NYC and love neighborhoods with unique character.
Also, Any suggestions for New Years Eve?

Thank you in advance

If you're starting your stay on the left bank, I would highly recommend the des Abbesses or rue Caulaincourt area in Montmartre for the next part of your trip -- or you might want to try the Oberkampf-Bastille area, which is also very lively.

We are staying (for a week in early December)in an apartment on rue St Antoine in the Marais, near Hotel de Sully. It looks like an interesting area, and even has an Hammam nearby - an up-market and Arabic equivalent of the 10th St Baths that you might be familiar with!

I agree for a good switch, get something on the Right Bank, and I would recommend the 11th arr, for example, either in the Oberkampf area or closer to the Bastille column. Or just on the other side of bd Beaumarchais in the 3rd/4th.

I wouldn't book anything around place Republique, when I was there a month ago or so it was entirely under renovation/reconstruction and a total mess around there.

Yes, Place de la République will not be ready until March 2013 -- but it will look great then! However, if you were to find the apartment of a lifetime nearby, the contruction would not be a dealbreaker for me.

I wouldn't switch hotels at all. It's just time out of your vacation to make the switch and extra hassle with your luggage. Sure, if you are set on this then, yes, move to the Right Bank. But, you can see many areas of Paris without changing hotels/apartments.

Agree Oberkampf or Bastille might be fun for you...I am totally a Left Bank girl.

thank you to all

We have found a wonderful two bedroom apt. in the 11th using VRBO.. which is Vacation Rental by Owner. We've had good luck using VRBO in Lisbon, and the California Wine Country (Healdsburg)... I'd seriously consider canceling the hotel and renting an apt. instead. You'll get a much better feel for how the French really live.

My vote goes to Oberkamapf, too, but I personally wouldn't lose half a day on such a short visit to Paris checking out of one neighborhood and into another. I do see the attraction of doing that, but all of Paris is so accessible from...well, all of Paris...it would be preferable to me to just go to a new neighborhood and hang out there for a day or so. Up to you, and good luck.