Kelbert, that is great!!
That is the site that I am waiting for info on, to two different apts in the 7th. Both top floor apts with skylights and balconies and views of the Eiffel Tower.
This is fun.
We rented from Manors and Co in London years ago. We really enjoyed that, but it seemed easier to do in England so we haven't done it since, in France.
But the idea of being on our own, as if we lived there, was so appealing..
Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! I will let you know what we end up with

We have gotten far off the original track and now have to make a decision..I <b>hate</b> making decisions!
We started thinking that we might like to feel less right in the thick of the tourist parts and more as if we actually lived there, so...We can have a 2 bedroom off rue Passy or a sort of 2 bedroom in Les Halles. Of course, the Passy apt is much larger but farther away-
it is vrbo.com # 43121
Les Halles is vrbo.com # 49647
Someone want to help me make my decision? The Yankee said whichever one I want!! (clever way of getting out of that one!lol)
btw-<i>Happy New Year!</i>

Scarlett, I would much rather stay in the Passy neighborhood than around Les Halles. Passy is very nice residential neighborhood, more so than Les Halles. To me, it would be no question. I looked at those apts and they both look pretty nice. I don't know why you say the Passy one is larger as it is smaller in terms of square feet.

However, the Passy one has real beds, and the Les Halles one has one queen and just a fold-out couch in the second room. I guess some people don't mind sleeping on them, but the Passy one is a whopping 210 euro less a week. Given Passy is nicer and the apt that much cheaper and with real beds, it would be an obvious choice to me.

I have no particular fondness for the small streets around St Eustache where that apt is. Passy isn't far out to me, it's right across the river from the Eiffel Tower, and has excellent metro and bus connections. I would think the shopping better also (for food, etc.). I don't know what you want to do that would be so much closer at Les Halles, but places I would like to hang out, dine, etc, would be closer to the Passy location, or certainly not farther. The neighborhood is nicer, and I'd much rather have Passy metro as my main one for use than les Halles, that's for sure.

If you want to go clubbing or jazz clubs, etc., les Halles would be better.

Gee, I've looked at both too and I'm not so sure. I'd want to see more pics of the Les Halles one, but that location doesn't bother me -- assuming it is on Rue du Jour which it seems to indicate. In fact, I'd see myself walking to a lot more near there than in Passy.
Is there a shower in the Les Halles one? I look at the living room and it is SO stark. Two chairs sitting facing a small TV -- that's it? No comfy sofa, no table to put a glass of wine on or reading lamp if you wanted to read in one of those chairs? It just looks like it's all about high style without a thought of comfort or practicality. (Sorry that's the interior designer in me talking). I will say the Passy one looks more inviting and comfortable.

Thank you Christine, that was everything I needed to hear.
We really had no interest in Les Halles until I found that nice apt, then thought that between the two, Passy might require more travel to be within the City center where we usually find ourselves.
But after thinking about it and looking at guide books regarding Les Halles, we are going to go with the Passy apartment.
It will be just the two of us, with perhaps a visit from our son, who will be arriving in Paris from India/Thailand/Japan!! so it will be nice for him to have an actual bed to fall into, rather than the sofa..he does have a hotel in the Marais booked also.
I was mostly having a moment of anxiety, having to make a decision. I have those when I am standing in front of my closet also, so I thank you for your help in making this apartment choice.
Scarlett

Hi Scarlett,

These 2 apts. are very different. The Passy is slightly smaller even though it has 2 BRs and is rather traditional and located in a quieter, more residential area. The Les Halles is more modern and open, and is jam up against ST. Eglise church in one of the most tourist-laden areas of Paris. We have rented from the owner and can recommend him. We stayed in his loft apt on rue Champ de Mars, with a drop dead view of the Tower while in bed no less.

Hi Scarlett, I think you will be pleasantly surprised with your stay in Passy. Don't forget you are near the Guimet museum and the Trocadero (unbeatable views of the Eiffel Tower), and within a short walk of the lively, lovely Victor Hugo area. You will enjoy spending time in the BCBG world of the 16th and taking advantage of its untouristed restaurants and cafes and the excellent shopping. I expect to hear that when you return, you'll have become &quot;tres seizieme.&quot; And you DO know that the 16th is known as the Poodle Arrondissement, don't you? Sounds like a perfect fit! ;-)

Yes!! BTilke, I read that today, Poodles! he will be quite distressed to find out, I will try not to speak of it in front of him since he cannot go ((&amp)
Thanks for the encouragement

*ps*
Streetwise and MapGuide maps make it hard for me to tell distances, which are not my forte anyway~ so it is good to hear that things are closer than they appear on the map

I have twice rented an apartment in Passy and loved it! The Metro station was close to us, but we found we preferred taking the bus line #72 when we wanted to head over to the tourist sites in the 1st. Everyone mentions how nice it is to keep wine, juice, and coffee, but I found that my favorite reason for renting an apartment while on vacation is the ability to relax after a day of sightseeing in a living room, without feeling jammed into a bedroom only situation.
I really enjoyed exploring the neighborhood, and it gave us a fresh outlook! I rented from a Frenchman who lives and works in the US, so we paid in dollars.

We had a wonderful experience renting the perfect apartment in the 6th (bordering the 7th) from the most accommodating American gentleman. I found it quite by chance when looking through vrbo. Do yourself a favor and check the website: chezmichelaparis.com. Whether furniture, linens, dishes, bathroom - everything was deluxe. We truly felt like lucky guests in a friend's home.

...Scarlett, how exciting for you!

For Christmas, I gave my son &quot;City Walks: Paris - 50 Adventures on Foot&quot; by Christina Henry de Tessan. It is actually a 'deck' of cards and on each one there is a destination along with directions (that even someone like myself could follow). Although you have been to Paris many times, you probably don't need it but I thought it was a novel idea for the traveler.

Good luck in your selection.

P.S. My jaw dropped when I saw the pictures of the parisperfect site LOL

seetheworld, I bought that same deck of cards and I'm bringing it to Paris next week.

It is available at Restoration Hardware, everyone, and is on sale now for about $12. The walks look really interesting and fun!

dln, thanks for providing that little bit of *important* information. They also have a deck for New York City.

the large one bedroom offred by rentapris.com at 20 rue Chapon is a delight and much more reasonable than Parisperfect. (the smaller one bedroom on the sam street is small)

rentapris.com? I can't find that.

Duh, on a hunch I realized you must have ment rentparis, and yes I found it.

Here is a prior thread by someone who stayed in a hotel in Passy, probably fairly close to that apartment. He gives a pretty good idea of what it's like around there, and there are some suggestions on here of bakeries, shops, etc.:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/
threadselect.jsp?fid=2&amp;tid=34549016&amp;start= 0&amp;dirtyBit=1

Christina, thanks, but I cannot get the link to open

I found there are plenty of good restaurants in the area..I have been reading my Paris Zagat guide ~

We just rented a two-bedroom apartment from Bienvenue a Paris (bienvenueaparis.com) that was very nice (2nd bedroom was small, but had a real bed, and there was a fold-out couch too), comfortable and centrally located on blvd sebastopol(at the intersection of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th). We could easily walk everywhere.. pompidou, louvre, marais, iles, left bank, etc. For tourists, a great location, though lacking the neighborhood charm of some other locations. We were there with teenagers seeing Paris for the first time, so the location was just perfect. They also have a smaller apartment deeper into the Marais which I think would be nice for a couple. The people were very nice to deal with, and you rent through an American office and pay in dollars.

numbat, thanks for this post. I've had those two apartments bookmarked for some time now and was glad to hear some personal feedback. The smaller one at Place Bourg-Tibourg is the one I really have my eyes on. It looks quiet and very charming and is in a nice spot. That larger one you had seems nice too, but I wondered how busy and noisy it might be.