I'm starting to look for some apartments in Paris in the spring. I'll be traveling with my Mom, daughter and nephew (both age 13). Because it's my mom, I want something nice (maybe a step above the Ikea furniture). Anyway, Daniel submitted this review, which led me to this agency, Paris by Heart and subsequently, this apartment: Gaugin but I'm totally unfamiliar with that area with regards to shopping (food items), restaurants, noise level, neighborhood feel, etc. What do you all think?

That part of the 7th is a very upscale neighborhood. It's quiet compared to St-Germain or the Marais. And there's no shortage of restaurants, from the very special to the nice everyday places.

That part of rue St Dominique is near the great market street of rue CLer and a number of good restaurants: chez l'ami Jean, l'Affriolé, la Fontaine de Mars, etc. Yet not too noisy.
Wonderful location.

I stayed in an apartment in the area for a couple of months and I really liked it. Everyone always says to stay in the Marais - which I do often - but I like the quiet at night of the 7th.

I like the Rue Cler market; one of my favorite bakeries is in the area with fabulous rhubarb raspberry tarts; fun to walk to the Eiffel Tower; I like to visit the grand Art Deco building, etc. It is easy to get everywhere else by bus or the metro from the area.

Kim, I like the area for the quiet and centrality that others have referenced, and I like that apartment too. Definitely not Ikea territory. Ken at Paris by Heart is great to deal with as I mentioned in my review.

What a fabulous looking apartment! I have certainly added that to my list.

I stayed in a Paris Perfect apartment on the corner of Rue St. Dominique and Ave. Rapp two summers ago and LOVED the area! Lots of restaurants, take-out's, Comptoir Richard for coffee for our 8 days, boulangeries, patisseries, Saxe-Breteuil market (Thurs. & Sat), Rue Cler, etc., etc.

We enjoyed using the Batobus rather than the Metro to take us to the "other" side of Paris on occasion. That area is somewhat away from the "center" of Paris, but we loved just wandering to wherever we were going.

Enjoy!

We too stayed in a Paris Perfect apartment on Rue St. Dominique and loved it. It’s a great restaurant/food neighborhood—arguably the best patisserie and cheese shop in Paris are in that neighborhood, plus tons of great restaurants—and as others have said you also have the market street of Rue Cler. It’s very neighborhood-y, with parents walking their kids to school and locals doing their market shopping. There are plenty of hotels in the area but it doesn’t feel touristy to me the way the Marais or Latin Quarter does. It is quieter than those areas—you wouldn’t stay there if nightlife if your priority—but I love coming back to a leafy, quiet area after a day of sightseeing. I’ve stayed in the 7th near your apartment 3 times but for a change stayed in the Marais earlier this year, but I think I will stay loyal to the 7th in the future—the Marais was just too touristy, noisy, and was not a good food area. Also you are close to the Champs du Mars so you can walk and watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night. I’ve reviewed a few restaurants there if you look in the review section.

If you want more specific food recommendations for that area, just ask.

Thanks everyone, it sounds really perfect for what we want traveling with the young teens. I used London Perfect for a trip with my mom and daughter two years ago and need to check their Paris apartments more thoroughly but have found at a cursory glance they may be more expensive.

Sent them an inquiry this morning; it's all very exciting!

Very close to that apartment you have the Poujauran bakery, one of the best in Paris. The Thoumieux restaurant, right downstairs, is a neighborhood standard, and not very far away is the Bistrot de Breteuil, one of the best values in the area. I like the Centenaire and the Recrutement café/restaurants for lunches on the Avenue de la Tour-Maubourg, just a couple of blocks away. I assume the restaurant called La Poule au Pot is still there on the rue de l'Université, very close. And so many more, in addition to L'Affriolé, La Fontaine de Mars, and Chez L'Ami Jean mentioned by Americana. And don't forget Le Florimond on ave. de La Motte-Picquet. I love to walk in Paris and for me it isn't very far from where you'd be on the rue St-Dominique to the Eiffel Tower or St-Germain-des-Prés.