My husband and I will go to Europe in May, which unfortunately marks the beginning of the peak travel season. We want to rent an apartment and try to live like Parisians. We just bought a house in the overpriced Bay Area (we are in our late 20’s). Thus, we don’t have a huge budget.

I found a place that is in the west side of Bastille (in 11th arr.), very close to Marais. It’s the residence of an artist that faces a courtyard. It offers very good amenities and a reasonable price. The décor is very modern and stylish/masculine, though I prefer something more traditional Parisian/romantic/feminine. The information is on: http://www.abritel.fr/uk/detail.php?wrefa=588414

The only potential issue is that there are a few artist/fashion designer studios in the same building, whose front gate access is secured by a digital code that is in effect only at night and during the weekends (i.e., not 24 hours). Will this cause a problem?

Do Fodorites have other great rentals (all of 3rd-7th arr. and select locations in 11th-15th) to suggest? I have checked many websites (even the French-only ones) and realize most extremely nice places with great amenities and a romantic/ charming décor in good locations have been booked solid. Would appreciate your advice and tips. Merci!

Hi Barkinpark,

Tried the link to the apartment you're considering, but it isn't working at the moment. From your description, there probably isn't high concern. If the apartment is on the ground floor, rez-de chausee, I would like to see some grillwork on the windows, and you can always inquire about the door to the apartment, is it reinforced - "blindee" is the word in French, and how many lockpoints - five is the best. Also a small in the apartment safe would be nice. I'm supposing the worst-case scenario: that of all the apartment buildings in Paris with open access to the building, a burglar picks "yours," and then of all the apartments in the building, picks yours, and decides to break in during business hours, when as you say, other places nearby have people working in them. How likely is this? Not very, I believe.

I don't know, I wouldn't book such a place myself, but I travel alone and am worried about security. I wouldn't ever book an apt. building that did not have the digicode working all the time, not just part of the time. It isn't on the ground floor, so I guess that's not a concern. I don't think it's just breakins during day hours that are a consideration (although they are), but that people could come into the courtyard or other areas and stay there until later on (or even sleep or crash there). Isn't that an area with a lot of welfare, halfway houses or subsidized housing or shelters, Dave?

Well, I guess that is near bd Gfb St Antoine, not the other end of Charonne, so maybe I'm wrong about that. I know there is a SAMU homeless shelter on bd Lenoir, for one place, but that's more towards Oberkampf. It wouldn't matter to a lot of people anyway, I just don't like that area much myself, but other people do, and I'm sure lots of folks would have no problem with a place with unlocked digicode access during the day (like the people who live there and Dave, for two).

At least being down at the very west end of Charonne is more convenient to the market on bd R Lenoir on Sundays, the Marais and other things right around place de la Bastille.

Thanks for your replies, Dave and Christina.

The place is on the west end of Rue de Charonne, close to Rue de Lappe (and NOT close to metro station Charonne at all).

Are there a lot of welfare housing? Where is the homeless shelter? Do bumos really sleep in courtyards not protected by a digital code during the day?

I suppose someone will accuse me of being an alarmist, I'm just telling you the way I would think. I don't know if homeless people sleep in courtyards of unsecured places but they sure do in the city where I live, so I'm just extrapolating. YOu live in the Bay Area, so you know what it's like in a city like that -- what's it like there?

This is just what you are comfortable with. I wouldn't be comfortable with that, but it wouldn't bother other people. If you would do that in San Francisco or Oakland, I think you should do it in Paris.

There may be more than one, but the homeless shelter I know about is on bd Richard Lenoir, as I said, right near the Lenoir metro stop. It's a ways away.

barkinpark, have you already booked the apt? One agency I've enjoyed using with tons of apts in the 3d-7th is homerental.fr My experience is they tend to have better late availability for a number of reasons - frankly their website is a little funky. But they are nice, trustworthy people, and I've found the best way to deal with them is still by fax - very 90's.

Well, we just got back yesterday from an apt. that must have been very near yours and in a similar setting with a courtyard that had a digicode in effect after 7 pm and on the week-end. I'm guessing these apts. must have been only a few blocks apart. We were fine, and I certainly didn't see any homeless shelters in the area. Nor did I ever seen anyone who seemed not to belong in the courtyard. Frankly, it never occurred to us to be that concerned about this. However, we live in the city (although on the fringes) at home so are more used to seeing a mix of people than people who are from the suburbs or rural areas.