After much research (and long-remembering what my high school French teachers had told me of Paris) we chose an apartment on the Left Bank, specifically on the eastern edge of the 7e arrondissement. The 7e arrondissement is home to the Eiffel Tower, Hotel des Invalides, the Rodin Museum, and Musee d'Orsay.
However, we are just a two-minute walk from the western edge of the 6e arrondissement, home of Boulevard St.-Germain-des-Pres, Les Jardins de Luxembourg, St. Sulpice, Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots, frequent gathering cafes of the Lost Generation writers, poets, and artists, as well as locations in which they lived --- the stuff of a literary walk outlined in my Lonely Planet guide that we aim to take.
A very convenient neighborhood and tres charmant. (But the whole of central Paris is charming!) What follows in this post are photos of the area within just a two to five minute walk of our apartment.
(Click to enlarge photos.)
Cafe on our corner
Four restaurants/cafes next to our apartment (the building in front of the motorcycles.)
Le Bon Marche on the corner of our intersection, Rue de Babylon and Rue du Bac. It contains Le Grande Epicerie, where we've shopped for our groceries.
More shops around the corner
The Square de Boucicaut down the block, delightful children's playground and carousel, gardens, sitting areas.
