My Favorite Airbnb: A Historic Parisian Flat With Two Balconies and Modern Art

There are plenty of clear reasons to book a Paris Airbnb instead of a hotel—enough space to avoid going stir-crazy, a kitchen and fridge to stock with pastries and butter daily, and common areas for your group to stretch out and enjoy—but perhaps the best reason is far less practical, and it’s that you can get the most iconic Parisienne experience possible, from the balcony views to the morning café runs. And it was those small pleasures that made my lodging option on a recent trip to the City of Lights an unforgettable one loaded with quality family time and the feeling of being caught in time in the Montmartre of Dalí and Picasso’s heyday.

Visiting this past spring with sisters and cousin on a girls trip, I uncovered a gem of a building near Montmartre that would allow us all of these luxuries, plus some incredible touches that made sure the flat we were hanging out in daily between sightseeing was part of the Paris experience itself: From the mosaic-laden lobby and red-velvet central staircase splashed with colors from the building’s stained-glass windows, to the unit’s flowery crown molding that stretched across uber-high ceilings, it felt like we were staying in a fabulous, artsy aunt’s sprawling estate—one just a stone’s throw from the Metro-accessible neighborhood’s adorable bakeries and bistros, of course.

Two equal-size bedrooms (with their own adjacent bathrooms, no less), comfy beds, and marble fireplaces meant the apartment was as plushly comfortable as it was stylish—plenty of midcentury-modern furniture and art contrasted all the quaint touches and creaky wooden floors. But perhaps the best aspect of this lodging option was the sprawling living room and dining area’s double balconies, which reflect the sheer size of the place. I was fresh out of my first trimester of a twin pregnancy on this trip, so I wanted a space I could relax and share meals in (hello, take-out Doner and grocery-store gouter) with my loved ones as much as we would enjoy the splashy sights and decadent dining beyond our neighborhood.

A sizable, comfy couch is perhaps one of the most vastly underrated elements of a good group Airbnb, and this one has a sprawling, deep-cushioned one that’s the centerpiece of the seating area. In the same room and adjacent dining area are two small balconies with bistro tables and views of the treetops in a leafy park across the street popular with families and small children.

Perhaps most importantly, the neighborhood around the park was pin-drop quiet in the evenings and at night—but a quick walk around the corner to the Metro meant a grand avenue of bustling late-night cafés, doner shops, and a stone staircase of many, many steps leading to Montmartre—the hilltop neighborhood famed. We opted instead for the cable car to the top of the hill, which is located a (flat) 20-minute walk away near the raucous clubs and dining of Quartier Pigalle (where you’ll find the iconic Moulin Rouge). We opted for a show at Crazy Horse instead, which was still as easy to reach as all of Paris’s other gems thanks to the Metro being located two minute walk from our elaborately decorated doorstep.

It was hard for me to believe that a rental that could balance both local-approved lodging with access to the city’s best food and sites could exist in plain sight, but I was convinced as soon as we arrived and have been sharing the listing with friends who are Paris-bound later this year—and anyone else considering a trip to Paris; when you find a perch this fabulous in such an evergreen destination city, you share the wealth.