One side of the living room; click on the web page icon for more photos.
Location: Paris Arrondissement 18, Paris, Ile-de-France (Paris Area), France, Europe View Map
Accommodations: Apartment, 1 Bedroom + No additional sleeping rooms avail, 1 Bath (Sleeps 2-3)
Keywords: One-Bedroom Apartment
Any visit to Paris involves striking a balance between the monumental scale (Champs Elysses, Eiffel Tower, etc.) and the human scale (the boulangers and markets, corner bistros and cafes) aspects of the city. In purchasing our second home in what we like to call the "Back of the Butte" quarter—an area that has managed to preserve much of its original charm and village-like atmosphere—we think we've struck an ideal balance between the two.
Our apartment is 45 square meters (~500 square feet) in size– quite comfortable for one or two, or, if need be, for a couple and a third person. It consists of a living room with dining alcove, a separate bedroom, a (newly renovated) bathroom, a separate W.C. room, an entry hall, and a kitchen. To learn more about the apartment and our neighborhood, and to see precisely where we're located, please click the link further down on this page, which will take you to the apartment's website.
We're on a quiet residential street in a beautiful, non-touristic section of Montmartre, a few minutes' walk behind (to the north of) Sacre Coeur, and three flights up in a secure, well-maintained building.
(There is no elevator. Although the owners of the apartments in the building have discussed the possibility of adding one, no one wans to be responsible for the resultant disfiguration of the stairway, which is one of the most beautiful in the quarter.)
The living room looks out on a small tree-shaded square, the bedroom and kitchen on a quiet courtyard. There are the original hardwood floors (bearing the marks of hand-scraping!) in the living room bedroom and entry hall, along with several oriental rugs, and ample closet and storage space.
There is superb food shopping on the nearby rue Caulaincourt, plus a six-day-a-week outdoor market a few minutes’ walk beyond. The Montmartre Vineyard, the Lapin Agile Cabaret, and the streets and byways of Old Montmartre are literally just around the corner, yet most of the people you’ll see in the nearby streets and shops are not tourists, but rather those who live in the area. Over the years we’ve vacationed or lived in many different quarters of Paris, and have fallen in love with the charm, convenience and village-like atmosphere of this very special part of the city…and hope you will too.
As mentioned above, this is not a rental "property" but rather was purchased and furnished as our second home. Unfortunately we can't come to Paris as often as we'd like, but that means that we can share it with other lovers of Paris and things Parisian when we can't be there ourselves.
All of the furniture was purchased new for our personal use, and is comfortable and of high quality. There is a dining table that seats six, a comfortable queen-size bed with a Sealy mattress, a convertible sofa, original artwork by friends, a color TV with a DVD player and cable connection (giving access to CNN, Bloomberg, BBC, etc. in addition to a host of French channels), a wideband Ethernet (and wifi) internet connection, and a Yamaha hi-fi system (not a boom box) with FM tuner and CD player. Plus ~75 CDs and DVDs, and more than 100 books about art, Paris, and French history.
In addition to the regular France Telecom phone line -- which allows others, anywhere in the world, to quickly and easily reach you -- there's also an internet (voip) line, which allow free outgoing calls to be made to fixed and portable phones in France, the United States, and Canada, and in several other countries as well.
The kitchen is in a separate room and is fully equipped, with a four-burner cooktop, a microwave oven, a countertop oven, and a serious “batterie de cusine”. (Also in the kitchen are a clothes washing machine and a dryer.)
There is excellent transportation to other parts of town. The Lamarck-Caulaincourt metro station is a two minute walk away, in addition to which five bus lines (31, 60, 80, 85, and the Montmartrobus) pass nearby. Again, please see our webpage for more information.
There is no smoking in the apartment, and pets are not allowed. References are available on request. (Over the years many of our guests have returned for second and even third visits.)
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer
- Dryer
- Linens Provided
- Beds
- Queen Bed
- Convertible Bed
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV
- DVD
- Video Library : We have about two dozen English language dvds in the apartment.
- CD Player
- Stereo System
- Music Library : There are about 50 CDs -- mostly classical and jazz
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen : We like to cook when we're in town, so there's a nice collection of good cookware, along with china and various cooking gadgets.
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Communications
- Telephone
- Free Long Distance
- Broadband Internet
- Other Amenities
- Answering Machine, Broadband internet connection, TV with cable connection (CNN, BBC, etc, ), Component Stereo, CD Player and ~50 CDs, Library, Filter Coffee Maker, Espresso Pot, Complete sets of china and of high-quality cooking Utensils
- Suitability
- No Pets Allowed
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Other Activities
- In addition to several attractive parks, gardens and squares you'll also find a selection of excellent small family-owned restaurants close at hand, plus an array of fine food shops - boulanger, patissier, boucherie, several traiteurs, and marchands de vin, fromage, legumes, - ranged along the nearby rue Caulaincourt, less than 100 yards from the flat. A five-minute walk away there is a lively outdoor market (open six days a week) on the rue du Poteau, and a similar array of fine shops, In addition, every Saturday morning an organic market sets up in our part of town, and is easily reached from the apartment, A public swimming pool and an exercise club are also nearby
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
$950/week for 1st week, for one or two guests.
Additional nights are $75/night; additional weeks $525/week.
$2675/month (30 days) for 1st month; $2250/month for each additional month.
Please note that our rates are in US Dollars, and that there is a 5 night minimum.
*** Please be sure to include your telephone number. ***
References are available on request.
There is no smoking, and pets are not allowed in the apartment.
For more information please click on the link (below) to the apartment's website.
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Map & Owner's Profile
Our Home in Montmartre
Year Purchased: 1997
The Unique Benefits at this Apartment
As mentioned above, this apartment is not a "rental unit". Instead it was purchased and furnished as our second home. Our books are here. Our CDs and DVDs are here. Some favorite artwork is here. This in contrast to some of the bleakly furnished apartments we had rented in the past.
Beyond that, our neighborhood is here. After fifteen years we have come to know and appreciate many of the local shop and restaurant owners, who offer a wide selection of carefully selected goods and foods. To help you get started we've marked the locations of some of these on the accompanying map, and provided more information in a folder you'll find in the apartment. However the real fun will begin when you start "cruising" the neighborhood on your own, and coming up with your own discoveries!
The Lamarck-Caulaincourt metro station is a short distance away. (Note -- we just got the map working... more nearby points of interest will be added shortly!)
This is where we get on or off the number 80 bus, which provides good and convenient transportation to many nearby attractions.
You'll find a good half-dozen fine food shops (greengrocer, boulanger(s), butcher, cheese shop, wine shop, traiteur(s), etc.) lined up on the nearby rue Caulaincourt. (And more, a little further away, in the market area on the rue du Poteau -- "D" on the map.)
Here you'll find another cluster of fine food shops, and even a six day a week outdoor market!
The Square Suzanne Buisson. A local park favored by parents and their children. Named after a local resident, and a true hero of the Resistance.
People cross Paris to get to his shop. You, alas, need only walk down the block... (Nearby, across the street from each other, are two excellent wineshops, specializing in the wines of small producers.)
Come see the whimsical sculpture of the Passe-Muraille, commemorating Marcel Ayme's famous short story.
Owner's Map of Paris Arrondissement 18
I first came to Paris in 1974, on a one-year fellowship in oceanography, and even before I had found my lab I had fallen in love with the city. (That's me in the photo, standing in a field of seaweed on the coast of Brittany. Our interest was in the gases (phew!) emitted by the seaweed at low tide, when it was exposed to air.)
That project went well, and, as is often the case, one thing led to another... And so, by various subterfuges that first year was extended to four years. But then, after returning to the United States, I continued to come back to my old lab in Paris for a one month one month each year, on a part-time appointment.
That arrangement, amazing to relate, continued for almost twenty years! During that time we did indeed come to Paris once a year, each time staying in one of a series of short-term rental apartments. These were of widely varying levels of quality, cost and comfort, and scattered all over the city. While some were nice enough, each had its disadvantages, and we never found one we cared to return to.
And so, in "self-defense", we started looking for a place of our own, focussing on Montmartre because we had found that that was the part of town we liked best. We must have looked at fifty apartments, but, like our prior rentals, each had its drawbacks. Then we came to this one.
As we walked with the realtor up the beautifully waxed wooden staircase it was clear that the building was well cared for; two minutes after entering the apartment we knew we had found what we had been looking for. Just the right size, and in a beautiful part of the "Old Montmartre" area. And with a separate, good-sized kitchen. And quiet -- the living room overlooked a tree-shaded square free from traffic, and the bedroom faced a quiet courtyard.
Bingo.
“Full price offer!” we cried. Our search had ended.
Property Photos
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- One side of the living room; click on the web page icon for more photos. - Paris, Ile-de-France, France Apartment - Why stay in a Hotel?
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- The little square in front of our building. - Paris, Ile-de-France, France Apartment - Why stay in a Hotel?
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- Bedroom, showing the queen-size bed. - Paris, Ile-de-France, France Apartment - Why stay in a Hotel?
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- Entry hall, showing the door to the kitchen, and a corner of the "powder room".
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- Kitchen. (The washing machine and oven are in the corner.)
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- Our newsvendor's chow
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- Our corner bistro's cat
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- Vineyard Painter
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- Le Passe Muraille - Square Marcel Ayme
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- A sobering sign on a nearby building.
Traveler Reviews (1)
Magical Montmartre
Guest: Nashville_AMP
(Nashville, TN)
Date of Stay: 09/02/11
Review Submitted: 10/19/11
When you rent the owners' enchanting second home, it will be as though you have been magically transformed into a real Parisian, a resident of the lovely neighborhood of Montmartre. My husband and I had the pleasure of staying a week at this apartment this past September. Each afternoon, after a long day of sightseeing, I would open the living room windows and see window boxes filled with geraniums and hear the sounds of French children playing in the alley below. My husband and I would often eat at Au Relais, the lovely neighborhood cafe that is just next door to the apartment building. A local market, an excellent patisserie, and a Metro station were all within easy walking distance. My husband and I spent a day and half exploring vibrant, beautiful Montmartre, home to Sacre Coeur, a stunning cathedral built on Paris's highest point. We became engrossed in the rich history of the neighborhood, once home to such great artists as Renoir, Picasso, and Toulouse-Latrec. If you long to experience life as a true Parisian on your trip to Paris, I know you will not be disappointed in this home away from home. Not only will you fall in love with Montmartre, but you will be enchanted with your temporary residence as well. The bed is very comfortable. The adorable kitchen leaves nothing to be desired. There is even a telephone where you can make calls to American land lines for free. The owners have left an entire notebook of helpful information about the apartment and the neighborhood and are very easy to contact in case you need them for anything. My husband and I enjoyed our experience so much that we felt compelled to write this recommendation. Just writing these words makes me want to make a return visit. Thanks again to the hospitable owners. We are so glad we discovered you!
Owner response:My thanks to our September guests for their thoughtful review... and for the care they took with our apartment during their stay. About the only "correction" I would make is to mention that the living room does not overlook an alley, but rather a small tree-shaded mini-park -- where neighborhood kids do indeed play!
Recommended for:Sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, tourists without a car.
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Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #10574
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