Studio des Bluets

The apartment des Bluets and the Studio des Bluets are located side by side (were once connected actually) in what's been considered the new up and coming hip area of Paris, dense with bars, cafés, and restaurants. The apartment faces the street while the studio faces the courtyard and has its own little terrace where a courtesy bicycle is kept. There are two important things to know about these two properties. The first is that there is no cleaning service, so guests are requested to leave it as they found it. In other words, you have a washer/dryer and change of sheets and cleaning supplies, so you are expected to clean it before you go for the next guest. The second important thing is that, due to this particularity, the owner, an American expatriate who lives in Champagne, applies a ridiculously low price. So if you don't mind cleaning a little bit, you can have either a studio or a 1 bedroom apartment, both with wifi, cable TV, guide books, phone with free calls to practically everyone, and air conditioning (a rarity in Paris) for the same price as a dilapidated hotel room - maybe even less. The main difference between the two places is that the studio is just that - a studio where the sleeping area, kitchenette and table for two are all connected in the same room. In the apartment, instead, there is a separate bedroom and in the living room there are two fold-out single beds that are made up as a two-seater couch. So if you're three of four people, the option would be the apartment rather than the studio, and since the price stays the same, the savings get even better.

About the area:

The 11th Arrondissement is one of the most densely populated quarters of Paris. Located on the right bank (North side) of the Siene, it borders the 3rd and 4th Arrondissement to the West and the 20th to the North East. Comprised of various sub-neighborhoods that are often described as up and coming, trendy, and "bobo" a mix of bourgeois and bohème. Although common for guides to comment on the variety of bars and restaurants in any particular Arrondissement, this is especially true for the 11th. The various neighborhoods create a mix of calm, residential streets and large, lively boulevards, as well as parks and a strong feeling of "local" community. It does not feel populated mostly by tourists as the areas closer to the Louvre and the Marais can, nor does it feel away from the action or that you're sacrificing being in the "center" of the city. There are also many notable sites in the 11th, such as the Place de la République, and the Opera Bastille. There's also an Edith Piaf museum and the long outdoor market at Blvd. Richard-Lenoir. The area around Oberkampf is trendier, more on the bohemian side, and a good bet for small cafés and restaurants. Just outside the 11th you have the Marais to the West and the Père-Lachaise cemetery to the East. There are many major Metro station and buses so the rest of Paris is very accessible.