Nikki

I am considering an apartment rental on Rue Chapon, between the Rambuteau and Arts et Metiers metro stations. I have not been in that neighborhood and am wondering about its character. Any opinions? Thanks.

Cindy

It is over near Les Halles/Pompidou. rue Rambuteau is a great street with many stores. It borders the Marais and Les Halles area. Are you renting from rentparis? We have used them and were very satisfied. They showed an apartment on rue Chapon. I would rent there, however, I will be renting in February at rue Ste Croix de la Bretonnerie, a bit further into the Marais toward Place des Vosges.

Nikki

Cindy, Yes, I am considering renting through Rentparis.com. I read on another thread that you are flying from Boston in February, as I am. I assume you are also going school vacation week. So that's you who's renting that apartment I was thinking of at rue Ste Croix de la Bretonnerie! And you got a much better airfare than I did too, but I just started looking last week.<BR><BR>So have you seen the neighborhood of rue Chapon? OK for my teenage daughter to wander by herself? Too far from the fun part of the Marais? I am unfamiliar with the Marais, but it's a neighborhood I would like to explore, just haven't managed to do it before. <BR><BR>Thanks for the feedback on Rentparis.

cindy

I think that the neighborhood is perfectly fine during the day and as with any neighborhood, you have to be more careful at night. It is near rambuteau and chatelet metro stops. I saw another apartment on rue pequay (?) that accomodated 6; also in the marais. As for airfares, if you can fly tuesday to tuesday or wednesday to wednesday, for instance, you can get a much better fare.

Lesli

If you'd like to get a look at any neighborhood in Paris, check out http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/pj.cgi?lang=en<BR><BR>You type in the street address and city, and it will link you to a photo of the building's facade. You can then use arrows to &quot;walk&quot; up and down the street, around the corner, etc. This is an amazing website.

Christina

I've been in that area for other purposes (they have a good music shop there on rue Reaumur, a lot of musicians go there to buy stuff) around the Arts et Metiers stop and I wouldn't have described it as being near Les Halles or the Pompidou. It just doesn't seem that close to me, rue Chapon is near the conservatory (Arts et Metiers) and there are lots of students around there, and it's a business area to some degree (I think the garment trade). It's just a different feeling to me than some other areas on the Left Bank, narrower streets, diff. stores, etc. I particularly like the park at Square du Temple, a lot of avg. neighborhood folks go there, it's very nice, and there are some good shops up that way. On the other hand, it isn't far to the Les Halles and Marais area in the other direction (that street isn't near Chatelet metro).

Cindy

I guess it depends on what you think is far. rue Chapon is around 4 streets north of the Pompidou and Chatelet/Les Halles is only a few streets over from there. It felt to me that areas and neighborhoods (arr.) were close and seamlessly ran into one another.

Nikki

Christina,<BR><BR>OMG, I think you just made my mind up for me, a good music store?! My kingdom for a good music store, sheet music and stuff? Do you remember the name? And what other good shops were you talking about?<BR><BR>Lesli, thanks for the advice on pagesjaunes, I actually had been looking there at this neighborhood and that's what got me wondering. No people or shops on the streets, looked a little bleak. <BR><BR>Cindy, it's the comment about being careful at night that has me wondering. I have stayed in the 5th and 6th arrondissements before, and never felt uncomfortable at any hour. Is this different? I am also considering the apartment on Rue Pecquay, but I think that is up two flights of stairs, which could be a problem for me. <BR><BR>I know you can get better rates during the week, but that doesn't work for the school vacation schedule. It didn't seem to be that huge a difference, and now I'm locked into a rate anyway. Not horrendous, just not great.

jack

Lesli, that website you put us onto is fantastic. Thanks for that info. Do you know whether any other european countries have a similar website?<BR>Regards.<BR>Jack

Cindy

The area that I am more familiar with is closer to Les Halles/Pompidou/Rambuteau. The area near to Les Halles would be not great to walk late at night. I think that directly south of rue chapon is the pompidou with a pedestrian area full of shops and east of there is the marais which I always feel very safe in anytime of the day or night.