Paris Left Bank 1 BR near market, FREE internet! (#259)

Write a review We would certainly recommend Lisa's place to anyone wishing to visit Paris. The 13th Arr. is a very pleasant neighbourhood and 17 Boulevard Arago has a great location, close to the Metro,bus, banks, shops, markets, everything you need to make your stay nice and easy. The apartments was a cosy spot to come home to after a hard day's holidaying. We would visit more often if we didn't live so far away. We appreciated having the Broadband connection, local phone and english-speaking channels on cable. Altogether a great holiday for us. The apartment is a delight, beautifully decorated, clean & light-filled. Excellent bed, light-filled & efficient kitchen, great cross ventilation. The washer & dryer allowed lighter packing. The TV & DVD player were excellent. The neighborhood was almost the best part of a perfect trip. Pharmacy across the street, Franprix & Champion nearby for forgotten items. The proximity to Mouffetard was a bonus: the fruits & vegetables, the bakery, the fromagerie, the fish monger, the street entertainment, the flea market, the people watching! The location is perfect, the neighborhood is quiet, yet convenient. You are living as a Parisian. It would be hard to find a better base for exploring Paris. The prices at the neighborhood bistros were so much more reasonable than in some districts, and the food was superb. Plat du jour at Canon de Gobelin, half a block away, always amazing. My only question is, how did they get that huge, comfortable sofa into the apartment ... We wanted this trip to Paris to be less about tourist stuff and more about experiencing daily life in Paris. The neighborhood markets and shops by this apartment are wonderful. The Metro is just around the corner; but there's virtually no place you can't walk from here (we walked to the Eiffel Tower one morning). The apartment itself is wonderful. Extremly comfortable couch, bed. Small, but very well equipped kitchen. Roomy, charming, delightful. A wonderful trip was enhanced by a great place to stay. My family of 4 loved the apartment (2 adults, 2 teenage girls). It was quiet, bright, clean, and very comfortable for all of us. We walked to all the major sights in zones 1 and 2 and used the metro around the corner for the sights located in zones 3 and 4. My daughters loved having fresh pastries every morning from the bakery 4 doors down and I loved the convenience of the grocery store right across the street. We also found the ATM a few doors down very handy for obtaining our Euro dollars. All in all it was a fabulous trip and the apartment was a perfect place to unwind and rest after a busy day of sightseeing and fun. Great time in Paris!! Much due to our terrific accommodations. Introducing my daughter (age 12) to the wonders of Paris was something we will both remember forever. Having all the comforts of home really made our stay a delight. We can't thank you enough for all your suggestions and recommendations as well as your generosity in opening up your apartment. Again, many many thanks. Without hesitation we will recommend your place to anyone we know looking for a safe, warm, adorable respite in a great part of Paris! We really enjoyed our stay in Lisa's apartment. The location is just terrific! The Metro is very close, and Rue Mouffetard has very reasonable restaurants--nice to have close by with the declining exchange rate making dining out so expensive. Shopping for food and necessities was just steps away. We found everything in the apt. to be convenient and useable. There were many books and useful guides to Paris, along with other books and videos. Lisa was very responsive via e-mail with any questions we had. We had a wonderful two-week stay, and we will be happy to stay here again! This is our second year at Lisa s apt. We love the apt and the "hood" convenient to everything. We are already planning next year. Dont miss great market at Place Italie and dining at Avant Gout. Working with Lisa is great. The apt is cozy with perfect little kitchen. My husband and I found ourselves in Paris after overnight train from spain with no place to stay. Lisa had emailed me and left me a number to contact. I woke her up in the middle of the night (she was in San Fransisco at the time). She was amazing accomodating us night at the last minute. She was truely a life saver. We stayed in her apartment for 8 nights. It is extremely well equipped with dishwasher, and very comfortable bed. The place was quiet from any street noise. Lots of grocers in the area. Most importantly her place is very clean and very tourist friendly with a metro station steps away. She has many many books on Paris for every imaginable activity as well as a french-english dictionary (we took that everywhere). The best is her personal notebook with suggestions as well as other guest experiences. I have rented appartments around the world and hers is by far the best with the added touches and info. You feel like a guest, not a renter. It was a bit smaller than the pictures suggested but we managed to fit with our two teenage daughters. Downside was there was a lot of construction going on across the street. Upside is that LIsa was a wonderful and responsive owner. Location was fine and convenient walking distance to many places. The cafe was closed most of the time we were there but local bakeries and wine shops were good. It was a good deal and we had a great time. I feel so lucky to have found 17 rue Arago among the hundreds of rental apartments I scanned online. This apartment is not the icy, IKEA decorated flat that exists for tourists alone. It is warm and inviting, full of a real person's paintings, books and photographs. We were very comfotable lounging after a long day walking and were able to prepare meals, on occasion, in the tiny but entirely adequate kitchen. The bed is queen-size, the bedroom quiet and peaceful at night. The location truly is perfect for someone who would prefer being in a neighborhood with parisians rather than tourists, but completely accessible to all that Paris has to offer. A bonus is the friendly cafe' downstairs, whose owners are gracious and pour a generous kir. ...and mostly due to the apartment and it's location. Five minute walk to all the shops, restaurants and bars you could want. Non-tourist area = non-tourist prices. Metro station close by, which is very easy to navigate. If you're going to Paris forget the hotel, stop looking...you've found the ideal place! What an excellent choice we made by staying at Lisa's place. Walking distance to all the historical places, Metro round the corner, no tourists, excellent restaurant steps away, market... We did fall in love with Paris, and it was part of Lisa's fault. Even though it has been a year since our trip, we still talk about it fondly, and do recommend it to just about everybody going to Paris. One of our friends has already booked it for next spring! (i wish I was going too...) Thank you, Lisa. We really enjoyed our month in the apt and would return. It is located in a great neighborhood, wonderful location, close to metro. It has everything needed for a comfortable stay (though the sofa is worn). Lisa was a joy to deal with and very responsive to our emails. First off Lisa is super helpfull, the spot is cute, comfortable, and clean and a quick walk to the metro. On a budget with a young child it helped to have a washer & dryer in the flat and a variety of markets nearby. Quiet but within walking distance to plenty of busy sites perfect! My partner and I stayed here for three nights in June and loved it. Why would anyone stay in a hotel when you can have all that this apartment offers? A wonderful bed in a separate bedroom with large windows that may not have a "city view" but let fresh air and light flow freely. The apartment is lovingly and tastefully furnished with a mix of antiques and new furniture along with the owner's own watercolor paintings on the wall. A comprehensive renter's book at the work desk contains helpful information about the neighborhood and Paris sites. Internet connection is a bonus as is the washer and dryer. We loved the location which is away from the hustle and bustle of tourism but METRO close. Neighborhood cafe owners/service persons actually remember you after several visits---not likely in other parts of Paris. We are walkers and enjoyed the short jaunt to the Marais,Lux Gardens etc. Romantics, gay or straight, will adore this apartment. The final winning vote comes in the very affordble rental price---and I hope it stays low for my return trips to Paris. The apartment is indeed a wonderful 'home fom home'. We enjoyed the convenience and comfort it afforded us as well as the obvious cost benefits that self catering allows. We loved being able to explore, and buy from, the local markets, boulangeries and patisseries and not have to take our fare back to a cramped hotel room, as we have done in the past. The location is great with easy access to the Metro although we took advantage of the fact that the main sights are well within walking reach. For us (both 50+) the best way to 'experience' Paris is on foot. Of course, the positives then are that you can enjoy many delicious 'bon bons' without guilt! We really appreciated being able to settle back at 'home' after a 'hard day', put our feet up, have a coffee or a good red and spend time reading some of the books that Lisa has kindly left for visitors. Also, there is loads of practical and helpful information to make your visit very special. What a great apartment and wonderful location! This was my second summer to stay at 17 Arago--"My Apartment In Paris" rental. Last year I stayed a month and this year 10 days. The apartment is so cozy, and I love the American appliances. They make the stay so easy. With the Metro so close making your way through the city is very convenient. However, if you like to walk a little, walking to Luxembourg Gardens is definitely "do-able." Simply put, this apartment is perfect for longer stays in the greatest city in Europe.

Hi Lisa,

We had such a wonderful time and I thought your flat
was just adorable. We had plenty of room to enjoy our
time there. Plus the cable and internet was an added
bonus. Your kitchen, as tiny as it is, has everything
a person could possibly need. I really had fun cooking
in it. I loved the little vegetable tiles. And like I
said earlier, I loved the way it was decorated and
your pictures are great. Was it furnished when you
bought it? I loved the desk in the living room and the
big armoire.
Michel and Beatrice at Le Terrior were just wonderful
to us. We had an awesome meal, but yes, we should
have gotten there a little earlier so we could have
enjoyed dessert.

In all, a fantastic trip, I hope we come back. But
next time we will have a better knowledge of French so
we can converse with the wonderful people we met
there.

We'll take you up on the offer to stay again at a discount, don't forget us.

Cheryl and Michael Taylor
(You can contact these guests, who stayed Oct 2-9 2006, directly at ctay1225 at yahoodotcom

Lisa's place is serene and beautifully tidy and very soothing to
hang out in....and it's located on a beautiful tree-lined street in a
really great non-touristy neighborhood, about 10 or 12 minutes walk from
the Pantheon. It's worth every penny and then some, because
staying there totally removes you from the touristy trip and makes you
feel like a genuine Parisian.
-- Jeffrey Wells (who stayed there May and June 2004)
Contact Jeffrey directly at: gruver1@earthlink.net

We both enjoyed your place in Paris very much. It was nice to be able to feel like we had a home there, instead of just a hotel room. We liked the neighborhood too, pretty, not touristy, and close to the metro. We'd happily stay there again!
Sincerely, David Trulli