Paris Apartment - Studio in Grands Boulevards, Canal Saint Martin - Gare du Nord - Gare de l'Est (PA-4288)

This furnished studio apartment is located at Rue d’Hauteville & Rue de l’Echiqiuer in the Grands Boulevards neighborhood of the 10th arrondissement in Paris. Located on the third floor (considered 4th by Americans) of an elevator building, this recently renovated apartment has a digicode security system and exposed beam ceilings that help preserve its historic charm.

Step into the studio and find yourself next to the kitchen. Despite its size, this kitchen has all the necessary appliances to prepare home cooked meals. There is a 2-burner stove, microwave oven, and refrigerator with freezer unit. In the corner near the kitchen is a small table that folds down from the wall with seating for two. Straight ahead from the front door is the bathroom. In the all white space there is a stall shower and sink with mirrored medicine cabinet overhead.

The rest of the apartment serves as both the living and bedroom space. In here is a couch that converts into a double bed. Also in the space are a flat screen television, small desk, and armoire in the corner that has full-length mirrors on the front. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the one wall of the apartment also serve as doors that give access to a very small balcony that overlooks that street below and the rooftops of Paris.

The Grands Boulevards neighborhood of Paris is one that, while very residential, is also a popular spot for shopping, dining out, and its nightlife. A few blocks up Boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle / Boulevard Poissonnière are many restaurants that then turn into happening bars at night. Check out O’Sullivan’s Café Bar or Café Oz for a fun night out. Head east and you will find yourself in the Canal Saint Martin section of Paris, a neighborhood of tree-lined streets and funky boutiques. Walk over one of the bridges that crosses the canal and you may be reminded of the stone-skipping scene from Amélie, one of her admitted favorite pastimes.

To access the rest of the city there are many options in terms of transportation. Right down the street is the Bonne Nouvelle metro station with service on lines 8 and 9. A slightly farther walk east will bring you to the Strasbourg – Saint Denis metro station which services the 4, 8 and 9 lines. One stop on this north will bring you to Château d’Eau, and the next two stops bring you to Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord. Gare de l’Est offers service on the 4, 5, and 7 trains as well as the CNL and P trains. This is also the station where you can catch many SNCF (TGV, Orient Express, etc.) trains to the South of France and other cities in Europe. At Gare du Nord there is service on the RERs B and D. While both of these lines go to Stade de France, RER B is especially helpful for getting to Charles DeGaulle International Airport and Orly International Airport. Gare du Nord is also where the Eurostar (the high-speed train to London) comes in as well as all Thalys trains, which run regularly to Marseille, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Cologne.