8 January, 2007 | Leave a Comment

I promise I’ll post photos of my new apartment once I have everything set up – it’s a bit of a mess right now. (Those of you who know me are probably rolling your eyes because you know it’ll stay a mess.) I am now living on the top floor of a grand bourgeois Haussmann-era building, in what used to be the servants’ quarters. My apartment is a former “chambre de bonne” – a maid’s room. Actually, my place is two maids’ rooms that have been combined into one bigger (yet still very small) apartment. These places are quite sought after in Paris and unlike many chambre de bonne, mine has its own toilette as well as a little kitchen.

Here are two views from my window:

Soon I will make a video of what it looks like on my floor at the very top of this building – the halls are very dark and narrow, a marked difference from the bright airiness of the rest of the building. I find all of this to be very romantic and the ideal place for a writer. And of course I can’t help wondering about the people who lived in these rooms during the 19th century and what their lives were like (probably not pleasant). The family who owns my apartment lives just two floors below and they are very helpful and have gone out of their way to help me and make me feel at home.

My new place is located in the 17th arrondissement, an area I’m not entirely familiar with. Part of the 17th is very posh and borders the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées, yet it stretches all the way to Place de Clichy/Pigalle, the red-light district of Paris. I am living in the part near the Arc de Triomphe, but apparently I can walk to Place de Clichy in about 15 to 20 minutes. I look forward to exploring all that this lovely arrondissement has to offer, from the super chic to the seedy.

I am living quite close to Parc Monceau, an eccentric English-style park painted by the likes of Monet, which I am very excited to explore. And I think it’ll be fun living so close to the Champs-Elysées. Though I normally avoid this tourist-ridden depository for the Virgin Megastore and Louis Vuitton, they have great movie theatres there. And since I’m partly a resident of Paris and partly a full-time tourist, catching glimpses of the Arc de Triomphe from my neighborhood is a bit of a thrill:

I was a little worried that everything in this neighborhood would be super expensive, but there are shops and cafés to fit all budgets. And everything I could want is right at my doorstep. The Place des Ternes is filled with flower stalls selling bunches of brightly colored tulips, even in the middle of January. The Avenue des Ternes and the surrounding streets are filled with tons of shops and restaurants and markets. It’s really amazing. And there’s a huge FNAC nearby, one of the biggest I’ve ever seen. (FNAC sells DVDs, CDs, books, electronics, etc.) I’m a little bit in love with my new neighborhood already. It’s a gem of an area, in the shadow of a few major tourist attractions but somehow just beyond their reach.

I’m happy and relieved to have settled here. This whole experience of moving twice within one week has made me think that my tendency to put things off till the last minute and create needless drama for myself does have some benefits. I’ve detailed on this blog how I procrastinate/avoid things, such as waiting until two days before my French visa expired to apply for the residence card. You know, stuff like that. I’m the first to admit this isn’t the ideal way to live one’s life. But for the first time, I’ve seen it’s not entirely such a bad way to be, because I can think rather quickly on my feet. I can get out of scrapes. I’m in a city where I’ve only lived for a few months, where I don’t speak the language well, where I don’t know a tremendous number of people (and very few locals), yet I found a great apartment within four days. Not to pat myself on the back too much, but I’m damn proud of this fact!

Okay, before I go, here’s a slice of peach tart I bought myself as a housewarming present:

I wish I could have shared some with you. Yum.

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1. Silvana Says:

   January 9th, 2007 at 1:04 am

   You are very lucky indeed, but also like you said, you are to be commended for surviving such a hellish situation in the bureaucratic hell that is Paris. Congrats! I’m super jealous of you anyway because I love Paris (and France in general) and I’m forever inventing excuses to go visit. I am quite sad that I won’t be able to go in 2007, but who knows. Send pics of your place when you can. A bientot!

2. Lillie Says:

   January 9th, 2007 at 5:53 pm

   Your building and flat sound utterly charming! Congrats!

   Sounds like you’ll be very happy there

3. rebecca Says:

   January 11th, 2007 at 5:42 am

   Wow! The buildings are beautiful. Is the building similar to the one across where it has slightly inclined walls like in an attic?

   PS: I wish the internet could make instant peach tarts appear. I think I drooled when I saw that.

4. Anglofille Says:

   January 11th, 2007 at 3:18 pm

   Thanks everyone!

   Rebecca: Yes, those rooftops you see are all part of my building. I’m on the very top floor, so it is almost like a little attic. And the windows are like dormers.

5. René Says:

   January 18th, 2007 at 8:05 pm

   What a coincidende. I happen to visit a house just like this every now and then. Its in rue des Renaudes.
   I like it too there, visit the FNAC almost everytime.
   Hope you like Paris
   René

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