So I’ve been pickpocketed three times in the seven years that I’ve been in Paris. Once in 2015 and twice in the last quarter of 2019, when pickpocketing was at an all-time high in the city. Nothing irreplaceable was taken; it … Continue reading
Life in Paris
Notre Drame: the Fire
I was in a train back into Paris from Frankfurt when the news started to trickle in about our disaster here in Paris. We’ve had various shocks during the time I’ve lived here, whether it was terrorist attacks in years … Continue reading
Pinch Me, I Live in Paris
There are hundreds of postcards I’ve made of Paris in my mind. I’ll stop, clear my head of whatever I was thinking of, and be truly and appreciatively, in the moment. A soft sunset on Île de la Cité seen … Continue reading
To Rent or To Own in Paris?
The most important fact to begin this discussion — which is directed at those who wish to live in Paris, not those who wish to buy rental properties in Paris — is that the current interest rates for fixed mortgages … Continue reading
Goodbye to Living in the 2nd Arrondissement
So, here’s the thing. I never actually planned to live in the 2nd. After a year on the eighth floor in the 17th, it had come time for me to graduate to a “real” Parisian apartment instead of just living … Continue reading
The Bike Explosion Happening During the Vélib Transition
While it’s true that you often don’t know how good something is until it’s gone, you also don’t realize how much better things can be until you get to try alternatives, and during the last 60 days, as Vélib stations … Continue reading
Cobblers, Tailors, & Their Side Hustles
If you pay attention and spend a bit of time thinking through the economics, you’ll see that there are dozens of ways that people build incomes for themselves in Paris. I wanted to tell you about two of them. Cobblers … Continue reading
An Honest Locksmith
“Does anyone know any locksmiths who are not crooks?” This was a question I posed over a year ago to a Paris & France Facebook group that I help moderate that has a fair number of Parisian residents in it. … Continue reading
The “Three” Paris Airports
I promised myself for ages that I wasn’t ever going to use the Beauvais Airport. “Paris Beauvais Airport” is a farce. Not only is Beauvais not in Paris, but it’s also not even in Île-de-France! It’s in Oise, not far … Continue reading
Three Years On, Part III: Cost of Living
Next month I begin my fourth year in Paris. I wanted to use the milestone to share some reflections on how I have changed and ongoing tips on how to make the move yourself. This is the third in a series of … Continue reading