I'm just totally confused now.

Because my husband was sweet enough to relent and let me have my way and go to Venice rather than Amalfi Coast, I feel very pressured to make this the "perfect" experience.

We both really love the place we picked in Santa Croce, but are worried about all the comments about the location. I am worried that the area will not be "charming" as I picture Venice to be and that we will regret our decision.

I have since found a couple of rentals (through venice-rentals.com) which are very nice - 2 in Castello, and 2 in Dorsoduro. Neither has air (worried about that), and neither is quite as nice except for one in Dorsoduro which is beautiful but a little pricier.

The Dorsoduros (V153 and V236)appear to be near Accademia/Zattere, one in Castello is near San Zaccaria (V151) and the other farther out near Arsenale (V73).

I kind of like the Dorsoduro ones. This might be an alternative.

Aside from obvious benefits of being closer to San Marco and other sites, how do Dorsoduro and Castello compare for nice shops (not high-end designer or tacky souvenier shops), reasonable casual restaurants (not dressy), and pretty little alleyways to explore?

As you can probably tel, we're looking for "charming".

p.s. -

We are also set on having a terrace, courtyard or large balcony - large enough for table and chairs, not just to poke our head out and look.

The biggest "sticking point" with these other options we've found is that none of them has air conditioning.

wanderer, although I haven't looked at the particular apartments you are interested in, I will agree with Holly that the San Aponal apartment that we stayed in might not be the in the class of property you are seeking.

We typically look for moderate accomodations when we are traveling since we are rarely in the room, and prefer to spend our money on sights, shopping, and great dining experiences. I've just never been able to see spending "mucho bucks" on a room/apartment that I'm basically in only to sleep. Everyone has different travel preferences, and there is nothing wrong with that. You might be looking for something totally different than we were.

I will add, however, that when we stayed in that apartment one year ago the furniture was not ratty IMO, and the decor was fine, although not fancy. I can't say what any of the other Venice Rentals properties are like, so I don't can't comment on them.

The San Aponal apartment was clean and simple, in a great location at a great price, and we really enjoyed our stay there. The A/C was not central, but rather a unit that could be moved into whichever room we preferred at the time we were using it. As Holly said, the terrace was up some stairs just outside the front door (still interior, however), and we thoroughly enjoyed the views and quiet from up there.

Hope this helps with a little more info to narrow down your choices. Good luck and let us know what you decide.