Paris Apartment - Studio in Les Halles (PA-2193)

This is a fantastic little studio right in the heart of Paris. For the price it is a unique bargain for Paris standards. The location is second to none, and the building itself (in which there are only a couple of studios) is lived in by several wealthy families and young professionals who keep very large luxurious flats - so the up keep is very good and the neighbours considerate. The studio itself has everything you need - we had a permanent internet connection and TV connection installed while I was there and I bought (and left in the flat) any missing crockery and amenities. The elderly landlord is very kind and generous but unfortunately communication can be difficult and arrangements uncertain; so once you're in the flat you're pretty much on your own. If you can't speak French this may not be the right apartment for you as the landlord does not speak English and you will be responsible for calling service companies if anything goes wrong. But at the end of the day it is a very attractive apartment in a stunning location, and I absolutely loved my time there. It's perfect for a student or young professional wanting to live right in the centre of the city - you can literally walk everywhere in minutes!

The owner of the apartment, whom is an elderly woman, was very sweet and nice. However, she, nor the individual that came along with her to lease the apartment speak English. Her daughter's information was given because she speaks English. However, communications with her seemed difficult as well due to the language barrier. Highly recommend any future residents have conversational or fluent French speaking skills in order to effectively communicate specifically with the owner.

The apartment size is awfully small, however, the location is great. There are several shopping departments conveniently located near the apartment (i.e. Gap, FNAC (an electronic store similar to "Best Buy" in the U.S.), Etam, H & M, etc... A grocery store (G20 Supermarche) is also right outside the apartment - literally next door! In issue of concern resolved around the tenants living across the hall to the apartment. In the middle of the night there was a lot of noise and loud commotion coming from across the hall on a regular basis. Cable is provided, however, there are very few select channels provided by the owner. Internet was included at about 40 Euros for a one month stay. Did not receive a charge for electricity. There is also an elevator in the building, microwave, toaster and refrigerator. Didn't like the structure of the building meaning that when someone flushes their toilet in the apartment above you, it is VERY loud and annoying (sounds as if their water is coming into the apartment. The building NEEDS a lot of repairs).

Safety was not really an issue because there are two doors you have to go through to get into the building - but the only way to get in is with the magnetic fob(key)that has been provided by the owner. Mindful, that there is a possibility you may not be able to get in if it(the knob you use to push your magnetic key against) is not working - unless someone happens to let you in or contact the owner to notify. You would be given three sets of keys (the magnetic fob to the two main doors of the apartment, an actual key to the apartment door, and a mailbox key). The owner has eating utensils, cups, plates and food seasoning. However, not to sure about the food seasonings and how long they have been in the apartment because it seemed as if this apartment had not been rented to anyone in months. There is NO actual bed, it is a bed couch! Because it seemed as if the apartment had not been rented in a while the linens & towels provided smelled a little old & musky. Recommend obtaining your own perhaps.

For students studying at Univ. de Paris I/Sorbonne - the apartment is about a 15-20 minute walk. If your main concern is location and you prefer to be relatively close to attractions such as Musee du Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, palais du justice, conseil d'etat etc... as stated before this apartment location is conveniently near these locations. However, if you are looking for a spacious living area, this is not a very good location that would serve that particular means.

Other than that, the owner was very lovely and friendly!

I had a lovely stay in my [Paris] apartment, it was in a great location. The staff member I dealt with was very friendly and went out of his way to be as helpful as possible. [The owner] is a lovely sweet woman who is very caring and went out of her way to put me at ease when I arrived. All in all I had a wonderful experience there.
Thanks