Renovated Artist's Atelier

My wife and I have visited Paris many times in the past 10 years and the apartment we rented from Ann Ottanelli, in terms of facility, location, and relationship with the owner, as about as good as it gets. The apartment was within a locked community on the end of a short street then opens essentially onto Place Basch in Alesia. This area is almost without tourists, and is the home for many middle class Parisians. Although I only speak enough French to be polite, we found the people in the area to be marvelous. The Place has a metro station and is serviced by at least four different busses. There are easy connections to the airports via the RER to a nearby station and then a short trip on the Metro or by bus. The busses can take you directly to major places at the center of the city and for us are much more pleasant than the Metro. There are, within 5 minute walking distance, wonderful sources of French pastries, bread, groceries, fish, cheese, meat, and several places to eat.

Once inside the locked community, the apartment is on the second floor of a building that just a short walk from the gate. There is an elevator that is small by American standards, but can hold two people or one person and some luggage. The apartment is on two levels, the main level has a kitchen, a dining area, and a living room with two comfortable couches. There is stairway to a loft that has a enclosed two-person bedroom, a bathroom, a single bed, a small desk with printer/scanner, and many books on seeing Paris and France. The wifi and telephone worked flawlessly. Everything you will need is there. It is as if the owners went on a trip, cleaned out their refrigeration and left. You only need to bring you own clothes and personal items, and then buy some food if you choose to cook in the well appointed kitchen. For those of you who have rented in Paris in the past, let me add one important point, the shower is wonderful, plenty of hot water and good pressure.

We communicated several times with Ann the owner who always replied promptly and with grace and charm. We found staying at the atelier a wonderful experience and would recommend it without reservation. Well, we are concerned that it is so attractive that it may not be available the next time we visit Paris, but we can hope.

Everything is anticipated in a calm setting. The gracious owner responds quickly to answers and promptly offers advice and counsel. The apartment is tucked away in an unassuming Parisian neighborhood blessed with a true range of bistros, entertainment outlets and serious pastry shops. Matisse's old studio is reportedly a few blocks away. A nearby supermarket delivers within minutes. Area markets include a fish emporium on General LeClerc and twice-weekly outdoor stalls (olives, cheese, flowers, paté and more fish). Buses and metro line are steps away. Du Rouet represents a lovely and tranquil space to return to after museum hopping, ingredient shopping and what-what.

Our apartment for two people was exactly as promised...fully equipped, comfortable, modern and quiet, though located in a lively neighborhood in Montparnasse. The phone and wi-fi worked perfectly, the kitchen was efficient and totally equipped (though the refrigerator/freezer was a bit small), and the washer/dryer was excellent. Tall, opening windows in the living area allowed us light and a sense of space while providing a vision of Paris rooftops. The bathroom in the loft/sleeping area was small but the shower was wonderful. As the French say, tout confort. Our landlord, Ann, could not have been nicer or provided better instructions and support by phone from her home in Italy. Outside our door and within a block or two, we had a bakery, fish market, butcher, green grocer, two supermarkets, a half dozen cafe-restaurants and even a multi-screen movie theater. Buses crisscrossed the place outside the apartment and we were well served by the Alesia stop on the No. 4 Metro line. We will certainly recommend this rental to friends searching for an authentic neighborhood experience in the heart of the real Paris.

We have just returned home after staying 6 weeks in this beautiful unit and can't imagine a better place to call our "Paris home!" It is light with soaring windows, clean, quiet and wonderfully comfortable. The owner did everything possible to make our stay memorable. We were half a block away from major thoroughfares, the #4 Metro (which we literally rode everyday), buses, charming restaurants, one of the best bakeries in Paris and interesting shops. A beautiful church is across the street, just adjacent to the Metro. The 14th arr. is not a tourist area so the hordes of visitors disappear--it's a real Paris neighborhood.

Our son joined us for a couple of weeks and we were all very comfortable. He had no difficulty conducting a couple of meetings with his US offices; the wi-fi is terrific. The shower has plenty of hot water and great pressure. There are plenty of linens for the beds. The washer/dryer works beautifully, though with a refreshing cross-breeze we hardly ever used the dryer. The kitchen is well-stocked with dishes, towels, spices, etc. One of our favorite activities every day was chatting about where we planned to go while eating breakfast at the dining room table. Shopping at the nearby bakery, supermarkets, cheese-mongers, vegetable stores, fish markets and butcher shops was convenient...and fun! We loved every minute. There is an elevator for those occasions when we didn't feel like using the stairs.

We cannot overstate the convenience of this location. We are enthusiastic tourists and visited every arrondissement while in Paris. With the transportation available at our doorstep, we had no difficulty finding everywhere we wanted to go with 1 Metro ticket. We only used a taxi once when it was late at night. It was so simple to pick our son up and return from the airport on the train as well as visit Versailles and Chartres--all with only one ticket and one stop to change trains. We became Friends of the Louvre and visited this amazing museum at least twice a week; because of this great location, we only had to walk half a block at both ends to arrive there and it only took about 15 minutes! While we love the noise and crowds of a large city, it was great to return to our quiet, peaceful home at night. Aside from school children playing in the morning and the occasional tolling of the church bells, we didn't hear any city noises.

We will stay here again in a heartbeat. It is perfect.

So much is wonderful about this former artist’s studio renovated into a spacious 2-story 1 bedroom apartment. I spent two months here feeling like a Parisian resident. Outside the gates of the courtyard, everything I needed for daily life was close by. Inside, the apartment is filled with light from the two-story windows which also provide a fascinating display of the ever-changing sky. The first floor, with it’s cozy couches, ample dining table and fully equipped kitchen makes all the inner pleasures of eating, reading, planning excursions and activities, and entertaining friends so easy. Upstairs, a wide balcony has a single bed outfitted as a couch and a well equipped office space. Through a doorway is the bedroom with lots of closet and storage space, a comfortable bed, reading lights and a window which I opened every night for fresh air. The bathroom offers plenty of water for a hot shower in the morning and soft towels which you can warm if you want.

This was the fourth place I have stayed in Paris and I will never again stay anywhere else. Its location in the 14th arrondissement is perfect. If you want to mingle with the Parisians living their everyday lives, you can pull up a chair in the Parc Montsouris which has lots of grass, a lake and even a puppet theater. Or you can hang out in one of the myriad cafes, dine in a local restaurant or cruise the shops only a few blocks away. Buying groceries for the week? Stepping out for your morning pastry? Choosing flowers for your loved one? Hop on the elevator, stroll down the path, pass a smiling neighbor, then through the gate, and out onto the vibrant street where the city’s sounds and energy will greet you. I walked almost everywhere, but the Metro and multiple bus routes are right across the street and will take you in mere minutes to the museums, monuments and all the attractions for which Paris is famous.

Yet nothing is as remarkable as the quiet calm in this residence. Despite the cacophony and hustle-bustle of city life which begins outside the courtyard gates, all is peaceful within. In the courtyard the foliage and flowers surround your building with a visual and fragrant environment which adds to your peace.

Ann, the owner, has created a lovely place for homey, easy living. She is a warm and welcoming person who provides all the information and help you need to navigate your arrival and relax into your stay. All the promised amenities are there and many resources to enhance your Paris visit.