First time to Paris!

Stay there.

It's Montmartre, with an extra "r." :o) Montmartre is actually the hill itself, on which most of the neighborhood sits (mont = hill/mountain, and the original name has been Christianized to mean Hill of the Martyrs). Anyway, four grown adults in Paris should have no trouble basically, well, anywhere. Paris is a big city, but it is - pretty much everywhere within the 20 arrondissements - tourist-friendly and safe. I've made numerous trips to Paris - starting in the 1980s - and have even been in the city alone, as a young (blonde, dippy) female, with NEVER any problems. Yes, there are places in Paris that I might not want to go alone, after dark, they are very few and far between, and do not include Montmartre. When I hear American tourists ask if an area of Paris is "rough," I generally wonder what their frame of reference is. If you're from a smaller town, well, any big city might seem a little daunting. If you're used to larger cities and/or have traveled much, you will find Montmartre pretty tame, for the most part. Montmartre has a busy, touristy side and a more relaxed residential side. Neither is particularly grubby or rough, although - sort of like San Francisco - you can round a corner from a swank street and suddenly be on a street that's noticeably more downmarket. That being said, you will be fine, and safe. And I am betting you will LOVE it. If you plan to be out late at night - anywhere in the city - and/or wander down small back alleys in an area that looks dodgy, take the normal precautions that you would anywhere. Keep your money safe, go in a group, be alert to your surroundings, and don't act like goofy tourists or otherwise make yourself "marks." Have a great time! Montmartre rocks. Heck, Paris rocks!

Thank you! I'm feeling a lot better.......I've travelled all over Italy, even Rome and New York, Chicago, etc.,,, so I don't think we'll be intimidated. Getting excited about the trip!

donna: have a look at tomsguidetoparis.com, which is ideal for first time visitors to Paris.

The "village" of Montmartre contains a lot of different neighborhoods. Some of them are nice and some not so nice. You may want to check the map and see excactly where your prospective rental is located. Now, to be quite frank, Montmartre does contain the redlight district of Paris. Street hustlers, street prostitutes, sex shops, large display windows full of very large dildos and nightclubs that offer $150 bottles of champagne that have a companion attached abound in this area. (All this is outlined in detail in Rick's Paris guide.) Specifically, this area is around the Boulevard de Clichy, between Place Blanche and Place de Clichy. Even traveling as a single male, I did not appreciate the hastle and all the very firm "Non Merci's" that I had to deliver. Since you will be in a group, you might not be as easy a mark as I seemed to be. I think you understand that this was not my favorite area of Paris. I much prefer a little more class, such as you find in the 5th, 6th, and 7th arrondissements. Paris is definately a wonderful city! Do go and enjoy!

One of the best things you can do is to spend time checking out the street and neighborhood around the apartment using Google maps street view. That should give you a very good idea of what the surrounding neighborhood is like.

For an another view of Montmartre (plus a conclusive discussion of why that small portion of Blvd Clichy is not contained therein) written by an intelligent, experienced, and ruggedly good-looking person who last updated his extensive knowledge base of the area a couple of months ago, take a look at this: http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/62263/montremart-paris.html Or skip it and go by Kira. She pretty well covered the subject.

Good luck with your decision, Donna. Due to conflicts here your best bet is to follow Rick's guidelines. His Paris guide is a treasure!