I would say you are spot on, if those are your criteria. We stayed there recently and there are good transport links from Bastille to most areas of Paris - see other postings.

Jacks24, my husband and I just spent 10 days in Paris and we stayed in a great studio in the 11th. It was on a small side street just off Menilmontant. We loved the neighborhood. It was a quick stroll up to Park Belleville. Also within a block were two metro lines and two bus lines making it easy to get anywhere in Paris in just minutes. Many many little shops, grocery store and cafes. I'll be glad to refer you to the owner of the apartment if you would like.

The 11th is the new "it" arrondissement, especially for nightlife around the Oberkampf area. People are buying flats there left and right (or have been) because the real estate there is less expensive and getting hotter by the minute. It is where a lot of people live so there aren't as many tourist areas there, but you get to live like a real Parisian.

No worries about the 11th!

Les

Thankyou Les, AllonsEU and Kansan24. I sort of thought that it definitely looks nice but you have put my mind at ease.

Would love to know who u used Kansan where they expensive? and was it easy to arrange everything?

Here is the website for the studio.

http://www.marneweb.com/bnb/apt_desc.htm

It's also listed at www.slowtrav.com

It was incredibly easy to do. Bill, the owner, is the nicest guy and answered my many emails so promptly. I seriously sent so many emails in the months preceding our visit, that I was afraid he'd tire of me before we even arrived. You can see at the website he also owns a B&B in the Champagne region.

The apartment is very affordable. Here's what the website says: "60 euros a night by the week for one or two persons. For stays longer than a week you save 1 night's fee for a stay of 10 days, 2 nights fee for a stay of two weeks."

Next door to the studio, he also rents a one bedroom apartment, if you are needing more space. Also the studio has a nice-sized patio which was perfect for sitting in the evening, sipping our wine, making plans for the next day. One feature that was appreciated was free international calls. A family member was taken ill during our trip so we needed to make many calls. I'm glad we didn't have to worry about a phone card. We just picked up the phone and rang.

I'd stay at "rue des Bluets" again in a heartbeat. I haven't had a chance to upload my pics yet. I'll post again when I do.

Have a great trip Jacks24.

Thankyou for that info Kansan, Brilliant. Will have a look at it all. Its good when you hear from people who have had good experiences, especially with apartments. Saw one post that nearly put me off apartments because their experience was so bad. Be good to see your pictures when you can get them uploaded. Thanks