OVERVIEW
A little tattered if you look carefully, quietly stylish if you don’t. If that sentence frightens you, look elsewhere; if not, there is much to praise here, and those looking for a simple pad with an honest price on the cool side of town will be happy - you'd pay a fortune for this sort of space in a central hotel. You are in the youthful 11th, with the Place de la République at one end of the street and the Bastille at the other. Step through the big green door and you find a traditional 18th-century apartment block (smart but not grandly shiny) with a cobbled courtyard that insulates you from the noise of the street, to give that rarest of Parisian commodities: a peaceful night’s sleep.
There are two or three big comfy chairs in the sitting room, perfect for a flop before heading out on the town. There is a TV, but don’t expect satellite, a few books too (including Kierkegaard’s For Self-examination: Judge for Yourself). The CD player was having an identity crisis when we visited, but there were promises of a replacement (or therapy). The washing machine is old but still works. The biggest prize you get here is space: three rooms and a roof terrace, and no one to bother you!
HIGHS- Pleasingly simple décor with an honest price tag
- A great position on the cool side of town
- Gare du Nord and Eurostar are three stops on the metro
LOWS- A few scuff marks and missing lamp shades - not for those expecting the lap of luxury, but if that doesn’t matter (and it didn’t for us), you’ll be happy
- The old showerhead has a life of its own
- The hot water runs out quickly on full power
ROOMS
You get the whole place to yourself: two bedrooms (perfect for families), an open-plan kitchen/dining room and a small shower room with an antiquated washing machine from the 1970s (very Parisian). Painted walls and floorboards come in white, giving the apartment a light airy feel. The low-slung double has French windows onto a roof terrace. The twin has a huge gilt mirror on one wall and a slightly industrial strip light that you will spurn in favour of a funky desk lamp in green and pink plastic. White voile curtains protect against the neighbours but not the light, but there are shutters to assure a lie-in. Framed contemporary posters hang on the walls, cupboards hold extra blankets and pillows. The shower room is simple but adequate, though don’t run the shower on full force or the hot water will run out sooner than you think.
FOOD
A big bright open-plan sitting room/kitchen comes with a small white dining table and a simple kitchen that will suit those who want to use the apartment as a base. You get two hobs, a fridge and a microwave. Grocery stores are on every corner, but closed on Mondays (Sunday is market day). Local markets nearby are: Bastille (also Wednesday); the wonderful Marché d’Aligre behind the opera house in the 12th, where Parisians flock to forage for food before taking to the bars and cafés (you see them scoffing oysters); and Marché Richard Le Noir (also Friday), which is where the best food in France tends to end up (the fish stands are known across the city). Even if you don’t intend to buy, a walk through a Paris market is a real treat; the cheese stands are irresistible and define a nation. You have hundreds of restaurants on your doorstep to chose from: head south to Bastille and the Rue de Lappe (more touristy than it was ten years ago, but still worth the potter), east to the Rue Oberkampf (where young cool Parisians gather), southwest into the 4th for the old-time chic of the Marais, or northeast to Belleville (up-and-coming, very arty) for great Chinese and Vietnamese nosh.
ACTIVITIES
Local attractions include: Pere Lachaise, the cemetery in which Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde are both buried; not to be missed, a real Paris landmark. Head north from Republique and loop around the Canal Saint Martin, a very pretty walk at all times of year and notable for its lack of tourists. Dive into the 4th, the prettiest quarter in Paris, where you’ll find stunning architecture at every turn: the impossibly pretty Place des Vosges, the old Paris of Boulevard du Temple, the Musee Picasso, streets on which to move at snail’s pace. If you want to walk all the way into town for the Louvre and Notre Dame, it’s no more than a leisurely half-hour stroll, but metros from Republique (three minutes away) will whisk you any which way.
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FEATURES
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TV |
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Radio |
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CD |
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Internet in Room |
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Fan |
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Heating |
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Coffee/Tea Making |
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Cots Available |
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Kitchenette |
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Laundry Service |
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Pets by Arrangement |
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ACTIVITIES
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Historical Sites |
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Museum / Galleries |
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Shopping/Markets |
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Peaceful Hideaway |
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Getting there
