Apartments near Paris

Hello everyone,

I'm considering several apartments for a job at CEA-Saclay. I am not at all familiar with the area, so some general advice would be quite helpful. We will be moving over there in May for 18 months, and we hope to find a place and keep it for the entire length of my position.

One apartment is in Bures-sur-yvette and another is in Orsay. Both of these seem very affordable and convenient for my job, but I don't know how easy it is to get around in the suburbs... I will not have a car. Can I walk to shops and restaurants? Is living in the suburbs boring?

Another apartment is right on the border of Paris, in the 14th arr. However, it is a couple hundred euros more per month than I want to spend, and I don't know if the price is negotiable yet. But, the location may be more "Parisian."

We have a dog, so it would be nice to have a good place to walk her, but also, we want to be able to walk to town. Does anyone live in these areas, or have advice for me? Thanks so much,

Erin