Recommended Apartments in the 11th Arrondissement of Paris (Bastille, Marché d’Aligre, Oberkampf)

A quiet, bright duplex in the heart of the Bastille area, with two bedrooms and an equipped kitchen, and a home bar in the living room, exactly the kind of detail that turns a rental into a home for a week. The neighborhood here is one of the liveliest in Paris: Rue de Lappe with its bars, Rue de Charonne with its shops and restaurants, and the Place de la Bastille a few minutes away on foot. From here you can also walk north into the Marais. Note that a duplex means an inner staircase between the floors, which isn’t comfortable for everyone. The area is also lively at night, so if you’re sensitive to noise, ask for a unit facing the courtyard. I recommend it to couples or a family with older kids who like to go out in the evening.

At 37 Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, exactly halfway between the Bastille and the Marais. There are 138 units here: 108 studios for two and 30 one-bedroom apartments for up to four, all air-conditioned, each with a separate equipped kitchen with a cooktop, a microwave, a fridge and a dishwasher, and a bathroom with a tub. Reception is staffed around the clock, there’s a free espresso machine in the lobby, and some units have a private balcony. Bréguet-Sabin station is right across from the building, and the Richard-Lenoir market is nearby. The Place des Vosges is a short walk. Note that the balconies facing the boulevard get traffic noise, and that breakfast costs extra. I recommend asking for a unit on a high floor facing the inner garden.

A one-bedroom apartment on Rue du Faubourg-du-Temple, at the northeastern edge of the arrondissement, where it borders Belleville, one of the most mixed and lively neighborhoods in Paris. The name promises no more than it delivers: a functional, no-nonsense apartment without any special design flourishes. The score, 8.0 from 26 reviews, holds a reasonable standard. The area is less known to tourists than the heart of the 11th around the Bastille, with a mixed population and the colorful Belleville market within walking distance. Good to know: despite a major revival over the last decade, the area is still less polished than the central parts of the arrondissement.

An apartment on Rue Godefroy-Cavaignac, a quiet, residential street in the middle of the 11th, between Voltaire and Charonne. The score, 8.1 from 27 reviews, points to a consistent standard. The street itself is small and unknown to most visitors, which tells you it’s a real neighborhood and not an obviously touristy area. It’s a reasonable walk to the Bastille, Voltaire and Père-Lachaise. Good to know: the property’s photos are fairly limited, so when you book, look for a more detailed description of the rooms and facilities.

A small, pleasant apartment on Rue Gambey, a quiet little street right between the Bastille and République, the two most central squares in eastern Paris. The fairly high score, 8.4 from 44 reviews, gives real confidence for a small apartment. In most old Parisian buildings, a fourth floor usually means stairs with no elevator, so keep that in mind if you have heavy suitcases. The area between the Bastille and République is considered one of the most central and best connected for transportation in the whole arrondissement. Good to know: the apartment is fairly small, better suited to one or two people than to a big family.

Three apartments at 18 Rue de Charonne, renovated and designed by the owners themselves. The fifth-floor loft is the star: high ceilings, a large bay window that opens onto the rooftops of Paris, and Eiffel-style metal beams. The other two units face the courtyard and are built like workshops, with oak beams and walls in bold colors. All of them have air conditioning and a full kitchen with an oven and a dishwasher, and the building has an elevator. Ledru-Rollin station is a five-minute walk, the Opéra Bastille about 440 yards, and the Promenade Plantée, the old railway line turned into an elevated garden, starts about eight minutes away. Note that getting in takes two codes for the building and one more for the apartment. I recommend practicing them before you land, not at 2 a.m. with your suitcases.

An apartment for six guests on Rue de la Roquette, a long, central street that links the Place de la Bastille with Voltaire and Père-Lachaise. The score, 8.4 from 33 reviews, holds a steady level. The name points exactly to the two poles of interest in the arrondissement: Père-Lachaise, the world-famous cemetery with the graves of artists like Édith Piaf (1915–1963) and Jim Morrison (1943–1971), and the Boulevard Voltaire, a lively shopping and restaurant axis. Six beds make it a good solution for a group of friends or an extended family that wants to stay together. Good to know: parts of Rue de la Roquette carry a lot of traffic, so check the exact location along this long street.

An especially large three-bedroom apartment on the Boulevard Voltaire itself, one of the main and liveliest axes of the 11th. It sleeps up to ten guests with a mix of double beds and sofa beds, one of the largest apartments I found in the whole arrondissement. The score is 8.2 from 26 reviews, and it’s run by Bluestay, a company that operates several similar properties in Paris and keeps a uniform standard. Being right on the Boulevard Voltaire gives you instant access to the metro and many bus lines. Good to know: the Boulevard Voltaire is busy and fairly noisy, so it’s not for anyone sensitive to street noise.