We hit the jackpot in finding this little studio. Inside it was pin-drop quiet, perfect for…read moresleeping. Yet when we stepped out the front door we were in the middle of the bustling Left Bank neighborhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, with patisseries and shops and galleries by day and a lively night life along cafe-lined blocks with indoor and outdoor dining, imbibing, and people-watching.
The place at 29 Rue Mazarine is situated at a crossroads of quaint streets where Romans lived; where royalty dined (and some met the guillotine!); where politicians and intellectuals from Voltaire to Franklin debated in restaurants; and where today there are no less than two Michelin-starred restaurants on our block!
Well-worn stairs lead from the building's half-millenium-old stone foundation to the fourth-floor walkup studio, which has all the fascinating and funky aspects of a building with stories to tell: the exposed beams, the scent of old brick; the convoluted pipes and wires and minuscule storage space. The place was a bit rough around the edges, for sure; amenities and elbow room were spare. We didn't mind! The price was extremely reasonable, the bed was comfy, the teeny kitchen functioned just fine, and the shower water was plenty hot. It ticked the boxes for us.
Like all the locals we met, our landlord, Thierry, made us feel truly welcome. He replied promptly to our questions and provided helpful information about logistics, eateries, navigating the city, etc.
It's hard to imagine a better spot from which to fan out across the city. Walk two blocks to the beautiful Seine, and cross the famous pedestrian bridges to the Louvre and to Notre Dame, a 15-minute stroll at most. Incredibly, there are three clean, well-lit Métro stations just blocks from the studio, with trains arriving reliably every few minutes!
For three weeks in the early spring, we traversed the city, immersing ourselves in art, architecture, and history: twice at the Louvre, as well as at Musée d'Orsay, Musée Carnavalet, Musée de l'Orangeries, Musée Marmottan, plus so many churches palaces and churches. A breathtaking day trip to Versailles was a 40-minute no-change train ride away.
We got to know some lovely servers at Café d'auteur, Le Mazarin, Maison Sauvage, Café Paul, Café de Paris, and Smith's Bakery! We ate at Procope, the city's oldest restaurant, and many other wonderful eateries all over the city. And on days when we'd exhausted ourselves from walking, we simply dined on baguettes, cheese, and wine from shops around the corner, including the organic grocery store right next door.
Having an affordable place to stay in a perfect location allowed us to relax and enjoy the city's magnificence. We definitely would stay at 29 Rue Mazarine again!
-- Susan and Warren
