Parler Paris Nouvellettre®

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:36:00 +0000

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

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The Parler Paris Nouvellettre offers a cornucopia of information and a variety of services for those individuals interested in living in Paris or France for any part or all of their lives! Written and edited by Adrian Leeds.

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The French Revolution for Consumer Protection

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:46:00 +0000

President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, Bastille Day 2011

French Property Insider
Volume IX, Issue 28
July 14, 2011
Paris, France
FrenchPropertyInsider.com

Bonjour French Property Insider Subscriber,

On TV channel TF1, the President of the Republic Nicolas Sarkozy prepares for the annual Bastille Day parade along the Champs-Elysées. The troops are lining up, the officials are in the grand stands and the jets are rolling down the runway awaiting take off. The sun is shining brightly, the French flag is waving proudly under the Arc de Triomphe and the spectators are getting close to the barricades to get a good look at the soldiers, the tanks, the horses, etc. that are about to head down the famous avenue.

No one is thinking of much, but enjoying the holiday that celebrates the liberation of French people from the tyranny of the monarchy. Subsequently they instituted Napoleonic code (1804) forbidding privileges based on birth, allowing freedom of religion, and it specified that government jobs must go to the most qualified. It was the first modern legal code to be adopted with a pan-European scope and is thought to have influenced the whole world. Interestingly, "Louisiana's civil code has kept its Roman roots and some of its aspects feature influences by the Napoleonic Code, but is based more on Roman and Spanish civil traditions. As a result, the bar exam and legal standards of practice in Louisiana are significantly different from other states, and reciprocity for lawyers from other states is not available." (Wikipedia.org)

As the ceremonies progress on the Champs-Elysées and Place de la Concorde, I am reminded of the strict enforcement of the laws in France that are designed to be as fair and equitable for the common man as they deem it possible, including quite a lot of consumer protection laws may differ from the way our own Anglo Saxon systems view equality. In the realm of property ownership, protecting the rights of the common man includes forced heirship, squatting rights and time set aside to consider buyer's remorse.

One of the laws that protects purchasers of property in France is the seven-day period known as the "délai de réflexion" -- a seven-day cooling off period, following the signing of the sale and purchase agreement. This provides the buyer (only) with an option to retract his purchase within seven days of the purchase with no legal or financial ramifications.

Laws of this nature apply to many kind of purchases or commitments to contracts, but in this case, we're dealing solely with the decision to purchase a property, but not including a plot of land, garage or other ancillary buildings. It is also not available to purchases made through an "SCI" (Société Civile Immobilière) or real estate company.

The period starts from the point you receive the final signed contract. If you personally sign in front of a Notaire, then you will normally be given a copy of the contract, and the seven day 'period of reflection' begins the following day, or if that day is a holiday or weekend, then it starts the first working day. If the Notaire or other party has signed on your behalf, then the period begins the day after you have received the document by registered mail.

The presale agreement includes a statement certifying that you are aware of the seven day cooling off period.

In order to retract your purchase, prior to the expiration of the cooling off period, you will need to send a registered letter to the Notaire giving official notice, but you are not obligated to give a reason for the retraction.

We do not advise anyone to enter into a contract for the purchase of a property with the idea that retraction is easy. This kind of consumer protection provides a period of time to reflect fully on the purchase and ensure that all conditions meet your requirements.

Very few of our clients have taken advantage of the right. I was one of them -- having retracted the purchase of an apartment in Nice after two contractors saw potential problems with the staircase leading to the apartment.

In another case, our client was concerned that his investment wouldn't provide the return he was expecting and let his fears dictate the decision. That same apartment sold to another one of our clients three months later. Well located and beautifully renovated, she, on the other hand, has reaped tremendous reward, not only from the rental revenues, but from the sheer enjoyment of the use and big changes in her life now that she spends so much more time in Paris.

For more information about the various periods of reflection offered by French law, visit:
http://www.economie.gouv.fr

A bientôt and Happy Bastille Day!

Adrian Leeds
Editor, French Property Insider
Email: fpi@adrianleeds.com

P.S. For a full report on Tuesday's Parler Paris Après Midi, visitparlerparis/apresmidi.html and be sure to read this coming Monday's Parler Paris Nouvellettre® for a full report of this year's Bastille Day celebrations at parlerparis.com

Happy Bastille Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:53:00 +0000

Bastille Day by Erica Simone

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

While a band was practicing (too loudly) on the stage in front of the Mairie de 3ème, Jeffrey Greene, poet, author and professor of writing and literature, enlightened us by speaking loudly enough to drown out the band (!) at Parler Paris Après Midi on the life of the wild boar as well as the life of the American in the Burgundy region.

You might think wild boars are boring, but not so as Jeffrey tells it -- a wordsmith of extraordinary talent who can turn any topic into a thought-provoking tale. A large group of Parler Paris readers listened intently to his talk about how he came to be so fascinated with wild boars -- when a neighbor dropped a body bag on his doorstep filled with the carcass of one big bristly boar, ready to butcher and eat.

His latest book, "The Golden-Bristled Boar," sold out all the copies he had towed along, but it's available by visiting our Recommended Reading section on the site at: books/setinparisandfrance.html (or Amazon.com or local bookstores, of course).

Read all about Jeffrey's talk, who attended, what they had to say and see the photos from the afternoon by visitingparlerparis/apresmidi.html

Après Midi is taking a break for the summer, so showing up the second Tuesday of August will do you no good...but be sure to mark your calendar for September 13th when Victoria Strong, the Pleasure Coach, will answer the question: "Does Paris Give You Permission to Have Pleasure?" Join Victoria for a liberating view on how you can most benefit from that sly and encouraging nod the city of Paris offers you -- the nod that says: go ahead, live your life with sexual pleasure. Victoria will share the beats of her own transformation (no, not X-rated!) and her observations on the social and cultural factors that encouraged a life-changing journey...so much so, she left her career in the children's television business to create her pleasure coaching service. For more information about Victoria's work, visit: thepleasurecoach.com.

On a special note, the French-English Conversation Group, Parler Parlor (not to be confused with Après Midi), is also closing for the rest of the summer, reopening September 3rd with a Fête de la Rentrée, so mark your calendar and plan on being there!

Walking home late evening, the band was playing in full force, drowning out everything in our little 'hood' -- with only one more evening of concerts left (tonight) during Les Soirs d'Eté sponsored by the City Hall of the 3rd Arrondissement.

Tonight I won't be at the concert, however. Instead, as every year, I'll be dancing with friends at a "caserne" (barracks) during the "Bals des Pompiers" -- not to be missed are the Firemen's Balls held on the 13th and 14th at the various fire stations all over France. They start at 9 p.m. and end at 4 a.m. (sort of!), with live bands, serving wine, champagne, beer and soft drinks, and usually chips and other snacks.

The ladies dress to get kissed and the firemen do the kissing...as is the tradition! Things can get pretty wild -- they've been known to strip for an adoring public (the firemen, that is) and I've heard tales and seen photographic proof of some serious partying by those handsome men we've all come to love and trust: THE POMPIERS DE PARIS. Rest assured, I'll be at one of them tonight.

Here's the list for you to make your own choice:

• ROUSSEAU 21, rue du Jour - 75001 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14
• SEVIGNE 7 to 9, rue de Sèvignè - 75004 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14
• CDS 2 (out of barracks) 61, rue Monge, Lutetia Arena - 75005 PARIS. Bal July 13 only
• COLOMBIER 11, rue du Vieux Colombier - 75006 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14
• WHITE 28, rue Blanche - 75009 PARIS. Bal July 13 only
• LANDON 188, quai de Valmy - 75010 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14
• CHALIGNY 26, rue de Chaligny - 75012 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14
• MASSENA 37 Boulevard Massena - 75013 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14
• PORT-ROYAL 53-55, boulevard Port-Royal - 75013 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14
• GRENELLE 6, place Violet 75015 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14
• CHAMPERRET 3, boulevard de l'Yser 75017 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14
• BOURSAULT 27, rue Boursault - 75017 PARIS. Bal July 13 only
• CQG (excluding barracks) Beauvais Bus station Porte Maillot - 75017 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14
• MONTMARTRE 12, rue Carpeaux - 75018 PARIS. Bal July 13 only
• BITCHE 2, place de Bitche 75019 PARIS. Bal July 13 only
• MENILMONTANT 47, rue Saint-Fargeau 75020 PARIS. Balls 13 and July 14

Don't go too crazy at the Balls, because tomorrow you must get ready for the annual parade along the Champs-Elysées and of course, later in the day, the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower.

The Military Parade this year honors the overseas territories with regiments from Guadeloupe, Martinique, La Reunion, French Guiana, Mayotte, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. The parachute jump onto the Place de la Concorde that we've been used to seeing in recent years will be replaced by a performance by the fire brigade of Paris which this year celebrates its bi-centennial. As part of the celebration, Chilean and Monegasque (Monaco) troops and firefighters will be present as these two countries were the first two in the world to have created a fire brigade, Paris being the third.

It all starts at 10 a.m. with the arrival of the President of the Republic (Nicolas Sarkozy) on the Place de l'Etoile and heading down the Avenue des Champs-Elysées. There will be an honoring of the Head of State by the Republican Guard at Place de la Concorde, an opening performance dedicated to the Year of the Overseas Territories and the parade, consisting of 54 aircraft including 9 Alphajet de la Patrouille de France, ground troops (5035 men and women), mounted and motorized troops (241 horses, 82 motorcycles and 275 vehicles ) and an air show including 30 helicopters.

If you can't wake up in time for the parade, watch it on TV (TF1) -- it's the best view!

Then pack your picnic and head to the Champs de Mars for the annual fireworks at the Eiffel Tower. This year a concert begins at 5 p.m. with a host of artists...Yannick Noah, Gregory, Nolween Leroy, Pascal Obispo, Kassav', Abd Al Malik, Michel Delpech, Benabar, Raggasonic ...and others. On the sidelines of the Champs de Mars, over 60 village associations (open from 2 p.m.) will be set up on the Champs de Mars offering discussion and activities.

Then at 11 p.m., the fireworks begin. These are the most amazing you will ever have seen! Lasting 30 minutes, the display will be set to the music from Broadway musicals and the best view is, of course, from the Champ de Mars! If you dare to go (as I do every year), bring your alcohol in non-alcoholic-looking bottles, as wine will likely be confiscated!

And no matter what, do have the time of your life! Because that's what life in Paris is all about!

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds

Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. Happy 94th birthday to my mother, Gertrude Beerman, who will outlive us all as the model of stamina...still working (two volunteer jobs), living alone in a three-bedroom home, driving (and washing, not to mention filling the tank) of her own car and cracking dirty jokes as if she were 25 years old (which she says she still thinks she is)...with love and admiration, her youngest daughter.

Second to None of Them

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:32:00 +0000

Picnicking on the Seine

Second to None of Them

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Monday, July 11, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

It happens all the time. For one reason or another, I find myself in the same area of Paris several times in the course of a short period of time, even if I haven't been there at all in the last year. And so it was since last Wednesday's newsletter, landing very often on the streets of the 2nd arrondissement.

In Thursday's French Property Insider I wrote about the changes taking place there from a lifestyle and property perspective, but at the time, I had no idea there would be so many returns to the same narrow, stone-paved pedestrian streets in such a short amount of time. Of course, the events of the last five days included much more than JUST the 2nd, but always in the adjacent districts...one through six.

Eye Prefer Paris' 5th anniversary party, hosted by owner Richard Nahem, was held Tuesday evening atOlivier Magny's Ô-Château on rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the edge of the 2nd in the 1st arrondissement. The attendees were a cast of important Americans-in-Paris characters -- the writers and bloggers who behind the scenes influence your experience in Paris in a bigger way than you might think.

Olivier just launched his own book -- "Stuff Parisians Like: Discovering the Quoi in the Je Ne Sais Quoi" that is hilariously funny from the point of view of a non-native-Parisian learning how real Parisians think. It's one of those cross-cultural commentaries like Polly Platt's "French or Foe" that make us laugh while teaching us a thing or two. Be sure to get your copy and drop in to Ô-Château for a glass of wine and to get it signed by the author.

Not far from there is our Notaire's office on rue du Louvre where on Thursday I signed the "Promesse de Vente" on behalf of clients purchasing an apartment on the edge of the 2nd in the northwest quadrant of the 3rd. This part of the district is moving up quickly in the ranks -- just about as fast as the 2nd.

That was just prior to meeting up with the subjects of the next House Hunters International episode to visit their newly renovated apartment off rue Montorgueil (the oldest shopping street in Paris in the 2nd). Interior Architect Martine di Mattéo was just putting the finishing touches on the apartment in time for the filming over the weekend. The two-bedroom, two-bath 82 square-meter "pied-à-terre" was transformed from a poorly proportioned contemporary design space into a spacious and luxurious "shabby chic" oasis that is sure to make for a successful episode for HGTV -- and a another great apartment to add to our 'bouquet' of offerings onParler Paris Apartments.

With Les Halles under construction, crossing to the 6th district was easier by bus than by foot, to attend a cooking course that same evening given by chef extraordinaire, Susan Herrmann, in Patricia Wells' kitchen on rue Jacob. Susan is the author of almost a dozen cookbooks and memoirs and makes her courses in Paris and Normandy experiences to treasure.

We had a group of six students following her lead to create a six-course dinner including "Caviar d'Aubergines sur Toasts" for which I was partly responsible for creating -- that meant making the toast, spreading the eggplant, topping it with sliced tomato and adding basil leaves to top them off. Since this is as close as I get to cooking these days, it was an apropos assignment. We left the "Magret de Canard aux Cerises" to those more adept, but the eating of it was left to all of us who savored every delightful morsel of the French dinner "à la Susan."

Saturday evening, I had the pleasure of witnessing my first PACS ceremony of two men, one of whom has been a friend for almost ten years. A "pacte civil de solidarité" is a "form of civil union between two adults (same-sex or opposite-sex) for organizing their joint life. It brings rights and responsibilities, but less so than marriage." (Wikipedia.org)

They chose to hold the event in a converted cellar in the 2nd arrondissement on rue Saint-Sauveur under vaulted stone arches -- a formal dinner complete with engraved champagne glasses and bottles of wine with their names on the labels. Atop the cake were two figurines, both grooms! Only three women were present, among a sea of handsome men, and while on the surface it seemed the 'odds' were good, we women knew better than to think we'd meet our next lover at this particular wedding!

Strolling home from the wedding, rue de Bretagne was closed off to traffic to allow for the concert in the front of the Mairie de 3éme as part of the annual "Soirs d'Eté." There were so many people in the street that I barely recognized my own "quartier." Even when my daughter arrived at 1:30 a.m. after a 14-hour flight delay due to the plane's mechanical failure, the taxi couldn't take a normal route. There is so much activity now that the district is getting too "branché" 'for it own britches' -- what happened to the quiet little Marais neighborhood we once lived in?

Fortunately, Sunday was quieter. We lunched at a café near the Canal Saint-Martin then headed back down to the Centre Pompidou (in the 1st) to see artist and Erica's friend, JR's, "Inside Out" exhibition. It's a giant photo booth in the lobby of the museum, operating free to have your giant photo taken and it's the perfect opportunity to discover his work. He's a young street artist of genius talent not to be missed.

The weekend came to a beautiful close at sundown on the western point of the Ile Saint-Louis where the attendees of the Paris Summer Institute picnicked. It's part of program to provide "Modeling Certification and International NLP Practitioner Certification." Participants from all over come to Paris to attend the 10-day workshop -- and to enjoy all that Paris has to offer.

By sheer coincidence, my daughter and her Paris pals had the same idea...so I cavorted between the two picnicking parties over glasses of rosé wine. It was then, looking out over the Seine, with the red glow of the sunset, that I realized how very lucky it is to be in Paris where one can partake of so many fascinating things, no matter what arrondissement you're in at the time.

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds

Editor, Parler Paris
(with Richard Nahem)

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P.S. Get ready for a fun-filled week: Parler Paris Après Midi on Tuesday (scroll down for more information), the Bals des Pompiers on Wednesday and Bastille Day on Thursday! Whoa!

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 18:41:00 +0000

Rue Montorgueil, 2nd Arrondissement, Photo by Wikipedia

Second to None: Rue Montorgueil

French Property Insider
Volume IX, Issue 27
July 7, 2011
Paris, France
FrenchPropertyInsider.com

Bonjour French Property Insider Subscriber,

HGTV's House Hunters International returns to Paris this weekend to film the final part to a fourth episode in which we participated -- a story surrounding a single mother from Los Angeles who purchased a two-bedroom apartment in the 2nd arrondissement, just a few steps from rue Montorgueil. This is Paris' oldest open-air shopping street and one of the newest/hottest spots in the City of Light.

In a Web site devoted to the district, the history of the area is described as dating back to the 12th-century when King Philippe Auguste converted the marshland into fields (Les Petits Champs) and at that time, rue Montorgueil was known as rue Comtesse d'Artois. The king was astute and progressive, creating coverings to protect the merchants' wares and rue Montorgueil flourished as a shopping street. The name changed during the French Revolution resulting from the words Mont Orgueil (Mount Pride), because a tree was planted in its highest part to celebrate the Revolution.

Last night I was in the district seeking a restaurant in which to dine. Most of the eating establishments were filled to the brim at 8 p.m. and the entire area around rue Montorgueil and the surrounding pedestrian streets were buzzing with activity. This district is one of the more colorful in the city, bordered on the east by the traditional Red Light District (rue Saint-Denis), on the south by Les Halles, on the west by the financial district (La Bourse) and on the north by the garment district (Le Sentier). It's mix of residents lends itself to an eclectic slice of Parisian life centering their affairs around the market street.

The current gentrification of the area is rapidly changing its character and moving it up, up, up on the scale of elegant living. As prices are increasing, the undesirable elements are decreasing and thanks to the central proximity of the district, it's sure to become one of the hippest spots in which a Parisian can be.

According to meilleursagents.com, the average per square meter price in the district is 9,060€, but anyone in the industry can tell you that is about 20% lower than the current market -- and apartments in the Montorgueil vicinity are selling quickly. In adjacent districts, prices are higher -- 10,615€/m2 in the 1st and 9,921€/m2 in the 3rd.

Vacation rental apartments are becoming more popular as tourists are catching on to the area's charm. Aside from rue Montorgueil, one can visit the Tour Jean-Sans-Peur, the historic headquarters of the Paris Stock Exchange (Bourse de Paris), the Opéra Comique and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France...among others including the adjacent Eglise Saint-Eustache and Les Halles.

The apartment which is the subject to the latest House Hunters International episode has just been renovated by Interior Architect Martine di Mattéo and the family is moving in -- that's the focus of the filming this coming weekend. When it's scheduled to air we'll be sure to let you know! Meanwhile, consider the 2nd district as potentially your new home away from home and plan on watching our latest episode airing tomorrow which takes place in Normandy...scroll up for details.

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
Editor, French Property Insider

(with Mimi Chiang, HGTV Subject and Apartment Owner in the 2nd District)

Email: fpi@adrianleeds.com

P.S. Be sure to join us Tuesday, July 12th at Parler Paris Après Midi when author Jeffrey Greene talks about "The Burgundy You Probably Don't Know: A Talk, Short Reading, and Illustrated Tour." Scroll down for more details.

Ah, to Be in Paris in the "Jolie Juillet"

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Carnaval Tropical de Paris on the Champs-Elysées

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Monday, July 4, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

The Champs-Elysées was totally blocked off to traffic yesterday afternoon to make way for the Carnaval Tropical de Paris sponsored by the FCTPIF (Fédération Carnaval Tropical de Paris and Ile-de-France. The sun was bright, the air was cool and the sky was a crystal clear blue. It was a perfectly glorious backdrop to a colorful and festive display of West Indies culture. It's not often one can actually walk straight down the Champs with no car in sight...but it's definitely one of Paris' prettiest sights.

The groups gathered on the streets surrounding the Grand Palais to make their way down the Champs -- groups from France, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Reunion Island, as well as Thailand, India, England, Colombia, Polynesia, New Caledonia and others. They paraded, colorfully costumed, elaborately painted and making music mostly of a calypso beat, all in the spirit of their homelands to a packed crowd of supporters. Twenty-four year-old Martinique-born dancer Céline Patole was elected queen and led the parade wearing gold and dancing all the while.

"The purpose of the Federation is the development, organization, entertainment, logistics, communication and any celebrations and ceremonies connected with the 30 some odd associations to which belong, each one bringing its expertise and vision. The primary objective is the continuation of original cultural practices by the youth that often, because of distance, are in ignorance or disregard of these practices."

It's a noble mission -- but it might not have mattered for all the fun everyone was having. This is just a prelude for what's to come. Today the U.S. celebrates its 235th year of independence and on the 14th here in France we'll be celebrating the 222nd year since the troops stormed the Bastille prison marking the beginning of the French Revolution. Seems like freedom is a pretty precious commodity and for it we have fought hard and now we can simply celebrate...although there have been many times we've had to fight to protect it.

To mark July 4th, I am wearing red, white and blue and will go off my usual low-cal diet to eat hamburgers (with my hands, of course!) at Joe Allen, the oldest American restaurant in the city, having opened in January of 1972. On the 13th, you can bet I'll be dancing at the "Bals des Pompiers" and on 14th I'll be picnicking on the Champs de Mars in anticipation of the annual fireworks display...this time with French wine disguised in soda bottles, baguette and "charcuterie."

Ah, to be in Paris in the "jolie juillet."

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
(photo by Julie Vetter)

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P.S. Be sure to mark your calendars for July 12th when Jeffrey Greene will be speaking at Parler Paris Après Midi! Visitparlerparis/apresmidi.html for more information.

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It's a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:12:00 +0000

August 2009, Photo by Benoit Tessier for Reuters

French Property Insider
Volume IX, Issue 26
June 30, 2011
Paris, France
FrenchPropertyInsider.com

Bonjour French Property Insider Subscriber,

Le Saint-Tropez...cool as a cucumber: air conditioned, large terrace and lots of light -- available this Summer.

SAY HELLO TO ANOTHER HEAT WAVE

We're expecting another heat wave this summer. Spring 2011 was the hottest in 100 years, as well as the driest in the last 50 years. So, get out your fans and air conditioning units...2011 could be the hottest on record. As a visitor, choose to stay in air-conditioned apartments or hotels, or make sure there's good cross ventilation. As purchasers of French property, either find ways of air-conditioning your property or again, look for good cross ventilation.

HEATED UP PROPERTY PRICES, SALES COOLING OFF

At the end of April the price of property in Paris and the Ile-de-France is still up, up, up, but the volume of sales has waned.

From February through April, 2011, sales of apartments decreased 5% in the Ile-de-France and 8% in Paris.

Resale apartments increased in price over the previous year by 17.2% in Ile-de-France and 21.7% in Paris. For the quarter, increases over the previous quarter were 4.2% and 5.4% respectively.

There is no doubt that there are more properties on the market now and our agency contacts claim the French aren't paying the high prices. While the high price of real estate is good for those who already own, it's not good for those just entering the market...so we are watching carefully...and staying 'cool.'

HOT PACS

With the legalization of the gay marriage in New York, we here in France polish our nails on our shoulders with PACS -- Pacte Civil De Solidarité -- a contract between two adults of the opposite sex or same sex, to organize their life together...just about as close to a marriage as two people can get.

France doesn't see it as at all trivial and a contract of this kind is every bit as powerful to someone's future as a marriage contract. The Chambre de Notaires can assist future partners on the scope of the choices they make: Who can enter into a PACS? How to enter into a PACS? How to dissolve a PACS? Can hold the convention of PACS? How to protect your partner? What are the implications of PACS?

Click here to learn more (in French), download the Chambre's brochure

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
Editor, French Property Insider

Email: fpi@adrianleeds.com

P.S. Believe it or not, I haven't yet seen my own House Hunters International show set in Normandy! It airs July 8th (see below for details), and would appreciate any of you who can record it and send it to me (via an upload or other electronic fashion)! We thank you in advance!

La Grande Dame de Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:06:00 +0000

La Tour Eiffel at Dusk

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com

Wednesday, June 29, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

There isn't much occasion to go to the 16th arrondissement, at least for me personally. Very few friends live in the district, although there are lots of Americans and other internationals who love the 16th for its large and spacious apartments, good schools and easy access by car to the suburbs and industrial parks where many work. Otherwise, it's not a district that is overrun with touristy sights, except for a couple of very important, not-to-be-missed ones, particularly the Place du Trocadero, the Palais de Chaillot and the Jardins du Trocadero -- from which there is no better view of the Eiffel Tower.

"Nuit Blanche" tour operator, Karen Henrich, rented a tiny apartment near the Trocadero for over a month, so I had the occasion to trek across town to see it. Walking through the 16th was a very different experience from a stroll through the Marais. The architecture is eclectic, "Haussmannian" style buildings mixed with more contemporary apartment complexes, and it's more residential than commercial -- not as many independent merchants on street level as in the 3rd or 4th districts.

At dusk, about 10 p.m., we started toward the Place du Trocadero and stepped right down into a park that few people know, but is particularly lovely, private and peaceful. When you follow the path, it takes you to the gardens and fountains on the lower level. Then, if you climb the stairs, you'll land on the plaza between the two buildings which make up the Palais de Chaillot.

As we worked our way down, around and up again, the sun sank and the light changed, therefore changing the mood of the scene and the way La Tour was silhouetted against the sky. Hoards of tourists were on the marble plaza, including us. That's when I realized how living here spoils you with so much beauty surrounding you on a daily basis -- it becomes the norm, rather than what's special.

Karen remarked that she loves to take a group by Métro to the Trocadero as when they exit the station, they are overcome by the surprise and stunning view of "La Grande Dame," the Champs de Mars behind her, all anchored by the Ecole Militaire and the cityscape of Paris at her feet.

This is not a new story, but it deserves to be retold -- as about 15 years ago, walking on the sidewalk in front of Ecole Militaire to cross to the 15th arrondissement, I was adjacent to a man walking at about the same pace. At that hour of dusk, the Eiffel Tower was silhouetted against a bright pink sky and could not have been a more magnificent sight. My compatriot walker never once looked up to admire her, which was so surprising, and I consciously vowed at that moment never to become so jaded as not to notice the sheer beauty of the structure.

Then, it sort of happened. She's there all the time, you see. You can't see her from EVERY point in the city, but from many. And there are lots of occasions on which to be on the grass of the Champs de Mars -- like on Bastille Day for the fireworks or other celebrations (even weddings). If you look up at the right moment in the evening, you might see her sparkle -- "every evening, the Eiffel Tower is adorned with its golden covering and sparkles for 5 minutes every hour on the hour, while its beacon shines over Paris").

The cafés that line the semi-circular place welcome tourists and offer up a broad range of delights. Over a frothy "café frappé" (iced coffee), on one of Karen's last nights in the city before heading west to her Vancouver home, we toasted life in Paris, the beauty of the symbol of the city that was close to being destroyed (1909), but saved thanks to her telegraphic antenna, and just the luck that we had being there at that moment...and every moment in the City of Light.

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
with Karen Hernrich, Tapbooks.org

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P.S. Happy Independence Days: Monday, July 4th in Paris (may you eat lots of burgers!) and coming soon, Thursday, July 14th Bastille Day (get ready for fireworks and the Fireman's Balls)! Stay tuned for more information on all we have in store for us here in France.

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Only in Paris?

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:09:00 +0000

Gay Pride Parade Saturday, June 25, 2011

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com

Monday, June 27, 2011 • Paris, France

Photo of Erica Simone 'on the
job' taking photos
at Gay Pride in New York...

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

Little did I know when a friend invited me to see the Anish Kapoor Monumenta 2011 exhibit at the Grand Palais Thursday evening that it would be the closing of the exhibition punctuated by a concert inside the 'monumental' structure.

For those who missed the event, there is simply no way to describe the massive single object which filled the Grand Palais, as every journalist seems to have painted a different picture, even describing the 'thing' in different colors -- the amoeba-like 35-meter-high 'beast' that took only a week to build of PVC welded together and swollen like a balloon.

The two-hour wait on line did not deter us from entering Kapoor's Monumenta to hear a 'concert' by Keiji Haino where we laid down on the soft PVC sides and entered a rather meditative state at the sound of the ethereal music and prose. Could it have been any more surrealistic? For a re-creation of the concert in sight and sound, visit:
http://www.monumenta.com

Exiting the Grand Palais and heading to the Métro station at the corner, fireworks loomed overhead -- from what and why was impossible to tell. Again, could it have been any more surrealistic? Sometimes you just want to say: "Only in Paris."

Saturday's plan to view the Gay Pride Parade worked like clockwork, as it does every year. A group of friends and Parler Paris readers gathered at Café Français to drink, eat and be merry in advance of the parade spilling onto the Place de la Bastille about 5:30 p.m. When the first signs of the parade hit the corner, we took to the streets to walk against the parade so as to see as much of it as possible and mingle with the paraders and spectators.

Normally one big laugh after another, this year's parade seemed like a subdued version of years past -- with less costuming and outrageousness than before. There were way fewer breasts on show (by both women and transsexuals), way fewer buns (by mostly men) and not as many drag queens in mile-high heels that you know are giving them great pain.

Meanwhile in New York, unprecedented euphoria hit during Sunday's Gay Pride Parade thanks to the legalization of gay marriage was passed earlier in the week. My daughter described it as 'nuts in New York' and took her own set of photos of the surrealistic revelry.

Seeing it is believing it. Only in Paris? Maybe not. Looks like New York may be our rival.

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
with Karen Hernrich,Tapbooks.org

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P.S.Make your plans to visit Paris this summer and take advantage of the lowest rental rates all year long...book your stay in "Le Saint-Tropez" with its heavenly terrace or in any one of our other luxury Parler Paris Apartments

Fête for the Fun of It

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:46:00 +0000

Fête de la Musique

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

The weather held out till this morning's rains to make for a glorious evening of Fête de la Musique...just like it's supposed to be. We took a table for seven at Ma Bourgogne on the northeast corner of Place des Vosges as early as 6 p.m. to beat the crowds and had a leisurely "apéritif" and dinner before making our way round Le Marais to see and hear the musical sights.

The traffic started to increase and little by little the various musical groups began to set up under the arcades of the Place where the acoustics are particularly resonant. It's here where one finds more classical sounds, a bit of opera, choral groups, string quartets and sing-alongs. We made one 'quick' stop for a coffee chez "Le Palace des Vosges" where one of the thirteen owners, Gail Aboudara, is residing with two daughters and a friend. That's a dangerous thing to do...as the apartment is too conducive to just 'hanging out' and we may have never wanted to leave the luscious chartreuse green velvet sofa and elegant surroundings to hit the streets...but of course, we did.

Making one circle around the square (is that an oxymoron?), we encountered numerous performances and hordes of people, but not one policeman. In fact, it's a recurring theme to discuss the lack of police presence during any of the public events, knowing full well that there are lots of plain-clothes cops around we'd never notice. The authorities do seem to make a point of keeping any appearance of force out of the picture and during events of these kinds, there is rarely any disturbance. The French are so well-behaved, it's almost shocking...these are the people who only eat bread and asparagus with their hands and are taught to fold their lettuce, not cut it, so rowdiness is certainly not part of the culture.

On rue de Sevigné at the door of the "Caserne Sévigné" (barracks) were a group of very handsome "pompiers" (firemen) just watching the goings-on -- a car actually trying to part the crowd in front of a brass band like Moses did of the Red Sea, without running over anyone's toes. On rue des Rosiers, about a dozen young friends had found a friendly stoop on which to park while chowing down on felafel-pita sandwiches (that hopefully they had gotten at the area's best provider -- l'As du Falafel, at number 34, rue des Rosiers).

While wandering along the streets of the Marais, our ears may have been on the music, but our eyes were on the fashions, and in particular, how the shops were planning for today's onset of the Summer Sales (June 22, 2011 through Tuesday, July 26, 2011). I made note of the red shoes over which I've been drooling for months marked down 30% as of today and the Wolford bathing suit I can't afford, even on sale. Expect to see me at the shops today in hopes of scoring.

Place Marché Sainte-Catherine is always a hoppin' spot and this year was no different. The restaurants were all packed with happy outdoor diners and people were dancing up a storm to the pop band on the podium. In the courtyard of the Hôtel de Rohan, a rock band played, sponsored by the Archives Nationales. By the time we wandered north to the Mairie of the 3rd arrondissement, we had sadly missed the rhythms of the Cuban group Wil Campa who had played on the Parvis de la Mairie earlier in the evening...but we didn't miss the young athletic man who climbed the light pole...for no reason at all, other than for the fun of it.

And that's what it's mostly all about...appreciation of the fun of music...playing it, listening to it, enjoying it and the spirit it brings along with it.

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
with Gail Aboudara and Anne Morton

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P.S. Don't miss the special offer to save this summer on the rental of Le Penthouse Voltaire with low season rates for July on bookings of five nights or more. VisitParlerParisApartments.com or email: mailto:apartments@adrianleeds.com for more information.

Take to the Streets -- The Best Week of the Year in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:22:00 +0000

Gay Pride, 2010

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com

Monday, June 20, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

This is the week of the year that to which I look forward more than any other in Paris.

FETE DE LA MUSIQUE

It's music to my ears! Tomorrow night, the whole world takes to the streets to enjoy thousands of free concerts by anyone wishing to make music. It's "Fête de la Musique" -- the 30th edition organized by the Ministry of Culture and Communication at the request of Jack Lang on the eve of the Summer Solstice. Expect it to stay light until 9:58 p.m.!

The event has spread like wildfire -- to all of Europe in 1985 and now in the last 15 years, the festival will be celebrated in more than 100 countries and on five continents.

This year the gardens of the Palais Royal are on being transformed to play "Musique des 3 Océans"...starting at 4:30 p.m. with Gospel and continuing all through the evening with eight other performances, ending with a Caribbean group at 11 p.m. It seems this is THE place to be! Read all about it at fetedelamusique.culture.fr/fr/palais-royal/

It sounds awfully appealing, but I'm still hung up on my own 'hood' -- Le Marais -- where there is always LOTS going on at every corner and then some...from the Place des Vosges, to the Mairie du 3ème to the Archives Nationales and on and on. It all starts at about noon, but by 8 p.m. it will be in full swing. There will be street food galore, as expect the restaurants, particularly those with outdoor terraces, to be packed, so be prepared to dine early or late or take it with you.

For a listing of all the venues, visit the official site atfetedelamusique.culture.fr/fr/ but to find the online program, click on:
fetedelamusique.culture.fr/fr/edition-2011/programme/programme/

A Nous Paris is the official guide, so pick up a free copy at any Métro station or download the official online version atanous.fr/data/viewer/paris/527/pageflip.html

You can also download the app by visiting the Apple Store atitunes.apple.com/app/id434818379. It's the most convenient way to see what's on and make your plan.

For those of you in New York and vicinity...your own "Fête de la Musique" takes place as "Make Music New York" -- this year being your 5th edition! Even with free concerts all over the five boroughs (1,000 or more), I encourage you to stop by Lincoln Center, Hearst Plaza (right behind Avery Fisher Hall, in front of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, across from Juilliard near West 65th Street) where friends of Parler Paris will be performing as part of the Collegiate Chorale at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. The program will be a potpourri including excerpts from the Brahms Requiem and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass as well as several spirituals and show tunes like Oklahoma, a medley of Tonight and Somewhere from West Side Story, Oh, I Can’t Sit Down from Porgy and Bess and It’s a Grand Night for Singing from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s State Fair.

GAY PRIDE PARADE

This is when I get ready to laugh my rainbow pants off!

The parade themed "Pour l’égalité, en 2011 je marche, en 2012 je vote" ("For Equality in 2011 I walk, I vote in 2012"), starts Saturday, June 25th, at Montparnasse at 2 p.m. and takes boulevards de Montparnasse, Port Royal, St-Michel, St. Germain, Pont de Sully, and boulevard Henri IV to land at the Place de la Bastille in the early evening.

At 4:30 p.m., the procession will observe three minutes of silence to show support for the fight against AIDS. Upon arrival of the procession on the Place de la Bastille, the Inter-LGBT in collaboration with the support of the Ile-de-France and its partner PARISCIRCUIT, is sponsoring a free concert from 4 to 9 p.m. At 8 p.m., a giant KISS-IN will take place at the Place de la Bastille!

Ok...this is a first (for me, anyway!)...everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity are invited to come for a few minutes kissing (anyone and everyone) to show that "love is universal and knows no discrimination." This is NOT to be missed!

Visit http://marche.inter-lgbt.org/ for more information.

As every year, I will be waiting for the parade to pour in the Place de la Bastille while drinking on my favorite drink -- "Perroquets" (sirop de menthe, pastis [liqueur à l'anis] and water) at the Café Français (starting about 3:30 - 4 p.m., 3 Place de la Bastille). When the parade hits the spot, we (whoever wants to join in!) then take to the street to walk into the parade so that by the time we get the Pont de Sully, we have seen all the floats and all the paraders and laughed our sweet buns off, not to mention taken a zillion photos.

Any of you who would like to join me...you are welcome!

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
with Sylvia Whitman of Shakespeare and Company

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P.S. Congratulations to the winners of the Paris Literary Prize as announced last Thursday, June 16th, at the Sociéte des Gens de Lettres, sponsored by Shakespeare and Company Bookshop and the de Groot Foundation: Adam Biles and Agustin Maes finalists and Rosa Rankin-Gee, winner. For more information, visit parisliteraryprize.com

Paris: Apping Up

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Karen Henrich with Her Digital Guide, Practical Paris

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

Yesterday at Parler Paris Aprés Midi, Karen Henrich, tour operator of NuitBlancheTours.com and ChicWalks.com plus publisher of TapBooks.org spoke about her experience as a digital publisher -- making content available on the new formats such as iPhone, iPad, iPod, iBooks, Kindle and creating pdf versions sold via Amazon.com and others...of her guide, "Practical Paris" and mine, "Adrian Leeds® Top 100 Cheap Insider Paris Restaurants."

She enlightened us with her thoughts about the publishing evolution and how electronic publishing is to reading as electricity was to lighting: candlemakers worried about their declining business when electricity facilitated the light bulb, but look at candles where they are today -- specialty items that cost a fortune! And perhaps, so will our precious paper books now that digital format reading is sweeping the world.

Karen is looking for more content to publish digitally so for those of you interested in publishing your valuable information and enlightening words, contact Karen Henrich by visiting TapBooks.org or emailing getpublished@tapbooks.org.

To read more about the day's gathering and see photos, visit parlerparis/apresmidi.html.

If you haven't already discovered it, the City of Paris is apping up, too. Check outparisapps.paris.fr/apps/Apple to download your favorite apps.

Karen's Paris Shopping app that every shopaholic must have can be found at:chicwalks.com/apps.html

And if you love "My Little Paris," here's the app: mylittleparis.com/nouvelle-appli-iphone.html

Make note and mark your calendar for our favorite festival -- Fête de la Musique on the 21st, the Summer Solstice -- the longest day of the year. Then, check out the app!: parisapps.paris.fr/fete-de-la-musique It's the best way to find out where your favorite musicians are playing.

For those who use and love the Vélib, be sure to download the app to find the nearest stations:parisapps.paris.fr/velib

You'll find me more often in a taxi...so, I love the TaxiG7 app! It really works: parisapps.paris.fr/TaxiG7-- and lots of the other taxi companies are offering them up, too.

This is just the beginning! The city is asking for your ideas on new apps, so click here to put in your two centimes: parisapps.paris.fr/idea

Or if you know one the city hasn't yet listed, be sure to visit parisapps.paris.fr/new_app and let them know what your favorites are!

And if you don't already have your iPhone, iPad or iPod...guess you best head for the nearest Apple Store...Carrousel du Louvre:
apple.com/fr/retail/carrouseldulouvre/ and Opéra: apple.com/fr/retail/opera/

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. Also make note, Parler Parlor, the French-English Conversation Group, will be closed for Fête de la Musique, the 21st, so that all of you can take to the streets instead!)

Six Paris Cafés and a Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:19:00 +0000

Café Life, Photo by Erica Simone

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Monday, June 13, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

Saturday was a café kind of day.

Café #1.

Early in the morning, renters checked into the sweet little studio apartment, Le Provençal, so there was time for a café crème and a “tartine” (baguette and butter) before starting the Parler Parlor Conversation Group at 11 a.m. “Au Petit Boulevard” at 23, boulevard de Sébastopol, made a perfect spot for this typically French breakfast – where I fired up the MacBook Air to try to answer some of the 800 emails that had accumulated during the week's PC to Apple transition. Little did I know then that the day would be a series of café encounters until well after midnight.

Parler Parlor, which for those of you who regularly attend or are thinking of attending, will for the first time in 13 years, close for the Summer, from just before Bastille Day (July 14th) through September 2nd (reopening September 3rd)...but don't worry – it will reopen with a bang!...and we'll keep you posted. Until then, we are still practicing English and French and making friends along the way.

Café #2.

After the Group, I met with interior architect, Martine di Mattéo, and clients from Luxembourg who have just purchased an apartment at the corner of rue du Roi de Sicile and rue Pavée, two of the oldest streets in the city, with a view on the carousel at Place Saint-Paul. (This is an unofficial name for the place where the Saint-Paul Métro sits.) Rue Pavée was the first paved street in Paris and we were told that this building, along with many others along rue du Roi de Sicile were “love hotels” in its hayday!

After discussing the future renovations, we chose a café across the street for lunch – “Le Bucheron” at 14, rue de Rivoli, that has a second entrance on rue du Roi de Sicile. The floors were originally an intricate pattern in tiny tiles, much of which has now been replaced by a kind of poured concrete and stone. It was a particularly interesting way of preserving the old and marrying it with the new. We took particular notice because the concept for our clients' apartment is “Paris Café,” so Martine is gathering ideas for what elements will turn the now 'box of an apartment' into a replica of 'café life.'

Martine had not yet seen the 23-page four-color spread just out on the newsstands in the July issue of “Maison Chic” magazine about “Le Palace des Vosges,” the fractional ownership property we developed that she designed and renovated. Kudos to Martine! (To read more about it, visit frenchproperty/insider/ and to download a pdf of the article, visitpalacedesvosges.com/Maison_Chic_July_2011)

Café #3.

Murder mystery author, Cara Black, was speaking at the Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore just a few blocks away, so it was not to be missed. After lunch, I met up with digital format publisher, Karen Henrich, and barely squeezed into the packed store thanks to the slew of American fans of Cara's. Cara signed copies of her newest Aimée Leduc mystery, “Murder in Passy” and a group of friends agreed to meet after at the corner café – “Au Bouquet Saint-Paul.”

The waiter there was in particularly good spirits and gave us all a laugh when he placed an entire bottle of almond syrup on the table to add to our drinks. This is one of my regular café stops thanks to the friendly atmosphere and good food. Six women made for a jovial group on a Saturday afternoon discussing how much fun an app would be for Cara's murder mysteries – a special tour of Paris through the eyes of Aimée Leduc – like where would there be a good place to hide a body?! Wouldn't you like to know?

Café #4.

The group split up going their separate ways, but Karen was hungry and wanted to chat about tomorrow's talk at Parler Paris Après Midi. Within a few steps, we settled at a table deep in the bowels of “Le Dome Saint-Paul” at 4, rue de Rivoli. By this time, I had drunk an assortment of coffees, wines, and colas forcing a 'pit stop' at every café's rest room. Café rest rooms are not normally a pleasant experience and tell volumes about the establishment's proprietors. Almost all the old Turkish toilets have been replaced with newer models (thankfully), but they still have not done away with urinals that often have no doors and one must walk past them (or a man using one) to access the ladies' room (thankfully) with a door.

Can someone explain this to me? Why wouldn't a man want privacy like a woman does? Don't answer that. I think I know. (Let's move on...)

Café #5.

I had an appointment at 8 p.m. with an “acousticien” (sound engineer) to monitor and record the sound levels from a bar nearby a client's apartment to determine if it were within the legal requirements or not. Instead of heading home for an hour, I left Karen and wandered down to the “Pick Clops” at 16, rue Vieille du Temple, settled into a chair and ordered yet another coffee. Upon logging onto the Internet (free WiFi is available just about everywhere and many cafés offer their own networks), a Skype message popped up. The Skype voice said in its sweet, but stilted way, “You have a Skype message from Erica Simone.”

Darling daughter was anxious to show mom her new Web site – along with a few new photos she'd done to add to her Nue York Portraits collection for a book in production. Within a few more moments, the engineer called to say he preferred to meet at 11:30 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. – a peak hour for what might be the highest levels of noise coming from the bar.

Café #6.

Without further ado, I headed home, worked a bit on those 800 emails and felt like heading back out the door just about as much as I felt like attacking 800 emails...until a friend phoned from the “Café du Marché” at 37, rue de Bretagne to say he 'was in the hood' and did I want to get together for a drink (at yet another café)?

“No thanks, I'm caféed out, but come here for boiled shrimp and wine, then if you like, you can come with me to meet up with the sound engineer,” I said, hoping this would provide just the boost I needed to complete the evening's tasks.

“Sure. Sounds like a plan.”

Bar #1.

At 11:30 p.m. we checked on the equipment in the apartment and entered the bar while the sound engineer adjusted the equipment and took notes (or whatever it is that sound engineers do). Yep, it was plenty loud, and in addition, a woman dancing on the bar added to the overall energy, excitement and noise. This time I ordered a “Perroquet” – a drink made of Pernod® (licorice liqueur), mint syrup and water.

An hour later I was home and in bed floating from the day's worth of liquid nourishment and café life. We are so fortunate to have café life in France. How does the rest of the world conduct their business and their social life without a café every few steps to host their meetings and social gatherings? What would we have done if we had not had all those cafés in which to rest our feet, refresh our palettes and relax our minds and souls?

Quite frankly, I wouldn't know. That's one reason I'm here and not there.

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. Our House Hunters International Historic Country Homes in Normandy episode aired yesterday in the U.S. -- and of course I missed it! If any of you have recorded it, I'd be very happy to have a copy if you are willing. For those who missed it, too, it will air again on July 8th. See http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/historic-country-homes-in-normandy/index.html for details.

Martine's Idea of "Maison Chic"

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:29:00 +0000

Maison Chic, July 2011

French Property Insider
Volume IX, Issue 23
June 9, 2011
Paris, France
FrenchPropertyInsider.com

Bonjour French Property Insider Subscriber,

The agent in Nice pressured me to sign the "Compromis de Vente" (pre-sale agreement) as quickly as possible on the apartment on rue Massena, placing blame on our Notaire for the delay -- as it is NEVER the seller's fault! So, I did all I could to speed up the process and scheduled the signing for this past Tuesday. Only 30 minutes prior to arrival they had received a copy of the "Réglement de Coproprété" (by laws of the homeowner's association). Upon review, the document clearly outlined that rental of any furnished apartment in the building was forbidden. "Quelle surprise!"

Naturally the seller and the agent had assured me there was no issue with the rental of the apartment from the get-go, so the questions are: Was this version out-dated (1978) and the regulation had been amended at some time since? Had they lied? Or not known? Either way, it was irresponsible to have allowed the process to go this far without verifying that I had the right to rent the property.

No doubt, however, is that without the associations' permission to rent the apartment, another will have 'bitten the dust' and I'll be back to square one in Nice looking for another apartment to fulfill my Riviera dream. Ugh. Perhaps these are all signs pointing me away from Nice and to some other project. I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, my focus turned toward other exciting matters. Magazines Maison Chic (France) and Casa Chic (Italy) published byLotus Publishing (Italyl) have published a 23-page spread in their July issues devoted to Le Palace des Vosges, our fractional ownership property in the Place des Vosges!

Magazine director Maria Letizia Tartaglini opens the issue with the following phrase (translated): "Marie-Antoinette, the movie by Sofia Coppola, has provided the source of inspiration to the decor of 17th-century stables transformed into an apartment by interior designer, Martine di Mattéo."

This is OUR Martine di Mattéo, who has also transformed 13 of the apartments offered byParler Paris Apartments and Paris Palais Apartments, a half-dozen others available through other agencies and is currently working on several more which will be added to the roster this coming year.

Martine may not be the queen of France like Marie-Antoinette, but she is the queen of Contemporary Château Chic -- a term we've created to describe her brilliant use of contemporary-style comfort with château elegance that fits today's Parisian lifestyle. She marries rummage sale antiques with reproduction furnishings, chooses high quality materials and adds rich fabrics and textures to turn a box of an apartment into a palace. Starting with good 'bones' (a property with good attributes), Martine can add the 'smoke and mirrors' to create a successful theme-park-like luxury rental apartment.

In some of her later projects, she has collaborated with mosaic artist, Véronique Husson, who designed both Le Provençal andLe Saint-Tropez/La Brigitte. Motifs in tile at the hand of Husson add an even further artistic element to the décor, much like the addition of artist Pascal Amblard's paintings, which you will find in Le Palace des Vosges as well as in many of the others.

One thing that strikes you upon entering any Di Mattéo designed apartments, is how comfortable one feels from the first moment -- that every item is so cohesive with the other elements. It's subtle, but effective. As Martine herself says, she tries to tell "one story." Whether the decor is Shabby Chic, Art Deco or Modern, nothing feels out of sorts, and all is harmonious in style, color and pattern.

Martine and I met when she was fresh out of taking courses to perfect her interior design skills, although she had many years experience in retail display. Our first collaborative project was Le Penthouse Voltaire about five years ago. Since then, our clients and we have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. We suspect this will continue for years to come -- as it's a marriage made in heaven, our children being the apartments -- and the fruits of our labor.

This issue of French Property Insider is devoted to Martine di Mattéo, her devotion to her work, her clients' properties and her clients and to our goals to provide oases of French heaven in the midst of a sea of Ikea-clad rentals for less discerning guests.

Shares in Le Palace des Vosges are currently available for sale -- four weeks per year of usage for each of the 13 owners. Unsold weeks are available for vacation rental. To learn more, visit:

Purchase: http://www.palacedesvosges.com
Rental: palace_des_vosges.html or palace-des-vosges

To Martine, bravo on your success.

To view the article in its entirety, download the pdf by clicking here:http://www.palacedesvosges.com/Maison_Chic_July_2011.pdf

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
(with Martine di Mattéo at Le Palace des Vosges' Inauguration)
Editor, French Property Insider

Email: fpi@adrianleeds.com

P.S. Don't miss the newest House Hunters International episode: Historic Country Homes in Normandy -- Episode HHINT-2411H, airing June 12th and July 8th. Visit House Hunters International-Normandy for more information.

Life is Nuts in the City of Light

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 19:24:00 +0000

It's a Dog's Nutty Life

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Wednesday, June 8, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

At almost 1 a.m. I phoned my daughter to relate the day's events to which she responded, "Your life is nuts."

It got me to thinking about my life in the City of Light and if the 'tornado' in which I live is a result of my own actions or the city within which I have chosen to live. Maybe it's a bit of both, but for either reason, I don't think I'd have it any other way.

It all started out rather normally with several hours of having a computer technician install and fine-tune a new Apple Mac Mini computer, transitioning from years of being a slave to Bill Gates (Windows) to becoming a devotee of Steve Jobs (Apple). (I am suffering through the transition of the operating systems now, so please forgive me for any transgressions electronically related.)

At any rate, this was all as normal as it gets and so was a late lunch at Café Charlot before heading off to our illustrious Notaire's office (property attorney). There I was to sign the "Compromis de Vente" (pre-sale agreement) on the apartment in Nice -- the third I've tried to purchase in the last few months.

Thirty minutes prior to arrival they had received a copy of the "Réglement de Coproprété" (by laws of the homeowner's association). Upon review, the document clearly outlined that rental of any furnished apartment in the building was forbidden. "Quelle surprise!"

Naturally the seller and the agent had assured me there was no issue with the rental of the apartment from the get-go, so had they lied or not known? Or was this version out-dated (1978) and the regulation had been amended at some time since?

With no panic nor real concern, we phoned to get confirmation from the seller's Notaire that they would requisition a copy of the correct and registered document, but that would take another two weeks. I also agreed to sign, but with the contingency that the regulation be changed prior to closing. No doubt, however, is that without the associations' permission to rent the apartment, another will have 'bitten the dust' and I'll be back to square one in Nice looking for another apartment to fulfill my Riviera dream. Ugh. I left under gray skies with a light rain and gusty winds, crossed the Pont des Arts where the "Love Locks" are getting thicker by the minute, and headed to Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Author David Downie (of "Paris City of Night" and many other books found atparlerparis/books/) and his photographer wife, Alison Harris, hosted a "Meet the Author" event at the Village Voice Bookshop. They spoke, answered questions, signed books and made themselves open and available to their aficionados, one of whom was Diane Johnson, author of "Le Divorce" who graciously attended to show her support. TapBooks.org digital publisher, author and tour company operator, Karen Henrich, joined me to meet the authors and celebrate her birthday over dinner after the event at my favorite bistrot in the 6th -- Le Mazarin (42, rue Mazarine).

At Le Mazarin, an American woman with a group of others sitting at a nearby table was naturally louder than anyone else in the restaurant and without even realizing what I was doing, my first reaction was to blurt out "shhhh!" I even surprised myself, but it managed to make an impression as from that point on the group was a whole lot more respectful of the ambiance and we could no longer hear every word she was saying. Upon their exit, one of them took revenge upon my spontaneous (and rude, I admit!) reaction by knocking on the window of the restaurant, getting my attention and motioning for me to be quiet by raising a finger to her mouth. We both chuckled and without any discourse, understood immediately as Americans in Paris that we really aren't aware at all that our voices are more resonant than most others and tend to boom above the fray.

While at dinner, I received a call with an emergency from one of our rental apartments. As it turns out, a window was pushed in and a trespasser had rummaged through the renters' belongings, stealing all four of their passports, but nothing else. The police were called and when I arrived on the scene, they were trying to communicate between the three officers who spoke no English and the renters who spoke no French.

After a brief investigation of the crime scene, we rode in a paddy wagon with the officers to the local station, waiting two hours (till midnight) only to be told we must return the next day as the clerk on duty had been called off to another emergency. While the wait was just that -- a wait -- the officers were very kind and respectful. The renter and I agreed that the same experience might not have been the same at an L.A. or New York precinct.

Today they will file the complaint then trek to the Consulate to have their passports reissued. It's not all that complicated and by the time they fly home on Friday, it should all be a blurry memory. (Should something like this ever happen to you while traveling in Paris, you can walk in with no appointment to the Consular Section of the Embassy [4, avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris] between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Visit france.usembassy.gov/pass-lost.html for more information.)

Today the sun is out and I'm prepared for just about anything nutty that might happen while living in a 'tornado' in the City of Light -- as every single day seems like a new adventure, if nothing else, with nary a dull moment to call my own. In fact, often I wish for them...but they never come.

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. A few things to remember...

1. Don't miss the newest House Hunters International episode: Historic Country Homes in Normandy -- Episode HHINT-2411H, airing June 12th and July 8th. Visit House Hunters International-Normandy for more information.

2. Plan on attending Parler Paris Après-Midi June 14th when Karen Henrich speaks about "Publishing in the Digital World: Incredible Opportunities for Self-Published Authors to Directly Reach Mass Audiences." Visit parlerparis/apresmidi.html for more information.

3. Jeanne Simonoff, author of "Saving Myself: a Los Angeles Childhood," will be speaking at Paris Soirées Sunday night, June 12th. Visit http://www.parissoirees.com for more information about the event and http://www.jewishbook.me/ to learn more about Jeanne Simonoff.

“La Vraie Salade César” – Does it Exist in Paris?

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:16:00 +0000

Eating Burgers with a Fork and Knife

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Monday, June 6, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

I've been on a search for a great Caesar salad all the years I've lived here, and I've come to the conclusion that it simply doesn't exist.

A Caesar salad is made of Romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, egg, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper. It was an Italian-Mexican, Caesar Cardini, who invented it while living in San Diego when on a 4th of July in 1924 the kitchen at the restaurant where he worked ran out of supplies, but he made a dramatic affair out of preparing it at the table and thereby starting a major culinary trend. According to legend, Julia Child had a Cardini salad herself when she was a child in the 1920s.

Lots of variations on the theme have cropped up over the years. Dressings were invented and sold, anchovies added and in recent years, chicken, steak or seafood added to enhance the concoction. My favorite is a Caesar salad topped with fried oysters found in any 'respectable' New Orleans restaurant, but just about any U.S. restaurant can make a good Caesar salad without much ado.

Not so in France.

Salads and sandwiches are not native to the French culture and only arrived on the scene within the last 20 years or so. Today, a long list of both adorn any café menu and for obvious reasons are popular, but, they still have not learned how to eat a hamburger with their hands, construct a really good sandwich, nor make a great salad, particularly the Caesar!

Sure, go ahead and defend the French for their culinary artistry. We all know they are the masters at complicated and delicate preparations fit for a king, but that's where they excel -- not with our kind of simple, convenient and fast-food kind of dining like sandwiches and salads. They have the greatest bread in the world (baguettes), yet they haven't yet figured out that if you slice an egg and lay it on the bread, that it will fall to pieces in your hands making it impossible to eat. (Have they never heard of 'egg salad?') And I still get a real chuckle when I see that fork and knife attack a burger and turn it into bits and pieces on the plate that must be eaten bit by bit instead of as it should -- as one bite of all the ingredients in one mouthful. I gave up on sandwiches long ago. Now, I'm going to give up on Caesar salads, too.

Last week I went to Christian Constant's 'Les Cocottes' on rue Saint-Dominique in the 7th (number 135). I adore this chef and love all four of his restaurants, so I was confident that his 'Vrai Salade César Ritz' would be just that "vrai" (real). "Au contraire!" It could not have been any further from the real thing. In fact the only thing it had in common with a Caesar Salad was the Romaine lettuce. After that, nothing, and I mean nothing, was the same. It wasn't even good, so sadly I sent it back.

At Café Charlot which gets my business several times a week (and where the food is top of the line), their Caesar is a whole lot better when I ask for all the ingredients to be served apart so that I can construct it myself. This way the balance of the chicken, parmesan, croutons and dressing is correct, plus the lettuce can be cut in bite-size chunks so it's easier to handle. (Did you know that it's rude to cut lettuce in France?...that one must 'fold' each leaf on the fork using a knife? So, you tell me how in the h--- you do that with Romaine?)

Nine times out of ten, a Caesar salad is served using another kind of lettuce and a host of other things have been dumped into it -- like tomatoes, eggs or olives. The only 'Caesar' about it is the store-bought dressing that gives it that Parmesan flavor. Then, they have the audacity to call is a 'Caesar.' The purist in me screams with indignation. Instead of risking having a bad Caesar, I'll order a Salade Niçoise -- a French invention and therefore much safer.

You can bet that whenever my toe touches U.S. soil I head for a restaurant that serves Caesar salads...or any great salad for that matter. In New York one of my favorites is the Chop't Creative Salad Company started by entrepreneurs Tony Shure and Colin McCabe in Union Square as long ago as January of 2001.

My dream is that some entrepreneurial American will open a chain of salad restaurants like that right here in Paris. Somebody needs to teach these French how to make a great salad and how to eat one without having to fold the lettuce. Don't you agree?

A la prochaine...
Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. Be sure to mark your calendar for next Tuesday's Parler Paris Aprés-Midi when the guest speaker of note is Karen Henrich talking about "Publishing in the Digital World: Incredible Opportunities for Self-Published Authors to Directly Reach Mass Audiences." Learn more by visiting parlerparis.com/apresmidi.html

Paris Property Report: The Sky's the Limit

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:14:00 +0000

For Immediate Sale:
51 m2 on rue Vieille du Temple (3rd) for 730,000€ (*See the P.S.)

French Property Insider
Volume IX, Issue 22
June 2, 2011
Paris, France
FrenchPropertyInsider.com

Bonjour French Property Insider Subscriber,

The report is out. Paris property prices are up 20.8% this past year -- from first quarter 2010 through first quarter 2011. And that's an average! In one district, the 7th, prices have soared as high as 27...%. Crazy?! "Au contraire." It was to be expected. Interest rates remain low and available housing on the market struggles to increase, therefore demand is up and owners are reluctant to sell. So, it's not a surprise that sales actually diminished by 12% over the same period.

Much to the dismay of the politicians who are scrambling to find affordable housing for their constituents, the idea of holding on to property and renting it at a profit grows in popularity...by both the French and by foreigners who see an investment opportunity...just like us.

The average price per square meter in Paris is up to 7,780€, but certain central districts have risen over the 10,000€ per meter mark -- the 4th, 6th and 7th. Only the 19th district is still under the 6,000€ per square meter line. For the first time in four years, the 7th district (11,880€/m2) has surpassed the 6th (11,870€), followed by the 4th (11,080€). A fourth district passed the 10,000€/m2 bar -- the 1st with 10,030€/m2. In contrast, the least expensive district remains the 19th at 5,970€/m2, followed by the 20th (6,380€/m2) and the 18th (6,830€/m2).

This period has shown the strongest growth in the last 20 years measured at between 16.4% (2nd) and 27.3% (7th). Per square meter prices vary between 5,900€ in the Amérique quarter of the 19th and 12,710€/m2 in Les Invalides of the 7th.

There has been a lot of discussion about the French property market heading toward a "bubble" that could break at any moment...but there is enough evidence to show this isn't true. Prices trending upward has more to do with a lack of inventory and that doesn't appear to be solvable in the near future -- particularly in Paris where historic districts are protected and new builds are virtually impossible. Interest rates are creeping up, which will diminish demand, therefore prices may tend to level, but there is no sign of a burst of the so-called bubble!

How high can prices go? As long as investors have the funds, lenders are willing to lend and inventory remains low, there is no telling. What's of primary concern is how rental rates are not keeping up with cost and therefore return on investment from the perspective of rental revenues, is lessened, even if appreciation remains strong.

Is it a good time to buy? My opinion is 'yes.' At today's low interest rates (under 4%), it's a perfect opportunity to get your toe in the proverbial water and in five, ten or 20 years, you'll be very happy you didn't pass up the opportunity...like so many are doing now when they had the same chance a few years ago!

SPECIAL NOTES:
The property price figures for Paris and the Paris region (Ile-de-France) are reported quarterly by the INSEE, the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The statistics are released about two months after the closing of the quarter based on the selling price noted on the "Acte de Vente" or sales deed. Given that the properties to which the statistics relate were purchased about three months earlier than the deeds were recorded (the time between the signing of the Promesse/Compromis de Vente and the Acte de Vente), you can assume then, that these figures are already out of date by at least five months.
Other factors that contribute to a variance are: 1) the reduction in the purchase price, which can be attributed to direct payments made to the sales agent (agency commissions) to help reduce Notaire fees,
2) the listing of inventory of fixed furniture such as built-ins and appliances,
3) the under-the-table cash transactions, which are illegal but do occur,
4) and finally, the figures are diluted as they are reported by an arrondissement in its entirety and do not account for differences by neighborhoods or quality of properties.

To read the report in its entirety, download the pdf (in French) here.

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
Editor, French Property Insider

Email: fpi@adrianleeds.com

P.S. *This beautiful 51m2 apartment with mezzanine in a historic Hôtel Particulier has just come on the market for 730,000€. If you are interested, contact us immediately, as it will be sold within moments!

Avec Quel Accent Parlez-Vous Français? (With what accent do you speak French?)

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:55:00 +0000

Photo by Erica Simone

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

Someone loaned me the HBO series, "Tremé," which, if you haven't seen it, takes place in a part of New Orleans more formally known as the "Faubourg Tremé" (pronounced treh-may). If you know New Orleans, it's the area bordered by Esplanade Avenue to the north, North Rampart Street to the east, St. Louis Street to the south and North Broad Street to the west. In early New Orleans, it was the neighborhood of "free people of color" and remains the center of the city's African-American and Créole communities as well as the home of the city's best musicians.

Watching the program has brought me back to my New Orleans roots. It struck me that both the lingo and accents of the characters would be difficult for others to understand -- or so it seems to my New Orleans trained ears -- a city that can claim at least 15 different accents. The program does a good job of illustrating many of them, all in one episode, with a cornucopia of the kinds of people one finds in such a profoundly cultured American city.

My own New Orleans accent is founded on the "Irish Channel" dialect -- an accent that sounds like Brooklynese thanks to the Irish who settled in both places during the 1860s. It's no wonder I am often mistaken for a New Yorker, even though at heart I'm really more a "Southern Belle." Real New Yorkers tend to hear the Southern 'drawl' while others hear the "Noo Yawk tawk" -- it's always fascinated me how the ear can detect such nuances.

In the French-English conversation group,Parler Parlor, which I co-coordinate and participate in a few times a week, one can hear dozens of different accents, in both French and English, thanks to the many origins of the participants. It's one of the benefits, actually, as it helps tune your ear to a variety of different pronunciations.

Last night, there was quite a bit of conversation devoted to this subject, the Anglophones admitting that their ears might not be tuned well enough to hear the difference between a French person from the north vs the south or a Parisian. And the French admitted to having a hard time discerning the difference between a Texan and a Californian, much less and Englishman from a Scot.

Language is a constant challenge living in a place that communicates in a language different from you own native language -- particularly French. It's one of the most difficult to master. Learning the words, the grammar and the phraseology is one thing. Tackling the accents is already yet another complication, but it's unavoidable.

After almost 17 years surrounded by Francophones, I admit that my own level of French is appalling (considering the number of years practicing) and my accent is pathetically American. The moment I say one word, and only one word, they know immediately that not only is the accent not native, but American. Two weeks ago when I boarded an Air France flight from Nice and said nothing more than "Bonjour" to the flight attendant, she responded with "Hello, welcome aboard," to which I asked with surprise, "Just one word gives me away?" And we both had a chuckle knowing how true it is. In the cafés and restaurants, with just that one word, they hand me an English language menu. It can be so depressing!

I 'threw in the towel' long ago and gave into never speaking French well much less with a proper accent. The French claim it's "charmant" (charming) much like we think of their French accent in English is so sexy, so why make a big effort to change it? No matter how many times I practice saying "serrurerie" (try it -- it's the toughest!), the Rs end up way to far down the throat to sound French as I spit and gurgle it out. Even when I spell "PAY-A-EHR-ELL-UH-EHR" for "parler," they never seem to hear the R and think it's an L like in Chinese. Oy!

The bottom line: does any of this stop having a great life in the "Ville de Lumière" (City of Light)? Absolument, pas!

A la prochaine...
Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. Participation in Parler Parlor is easy! We meet three times a week, but you can come whenever you like! The first time is free, so there's nothing to lose by trying it except an hour-and-a-half of your time! Visit parlerparlor.com for more information.

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Midnight in a Literary Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:13:00 +0000

Kiss on the River, Photo by Erica Simone

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Monday, May 30, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

PART I
REPORTING ON LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE ISSUES FOR THE US EXPATRIATE

Attendance was strong Thursday night at the talk by Joel Nagel and Peter Zipper on the "Legal and Compliance Issues for the US Expatriate." Clearly Americans are concerned that their freedoms to live, work and invest outside of the U.S. will be taken away.

It's surprising how few people even know about the laws which were voted in March 2010 as part of the HIRE Act, as there's been very little even written about them. Ask your own tax attorney or accountant and you will see that even the best are still in the dark.

Many of you have asked us to record the session or provide a full account. Sorry to disappoint you, but neither is possible. For security and privacy reasons, a recording was not allowed during the event, nor will I attempt to 'replay' Nagel and Zipper's words for fear of misinterpretation. However, what I believe we all walked away with was the understanding that we can transfer money outside of the U.S. without fear of the withholding tax as long as the income has already been rightfully reported and tax has been paid on that money. We also learned how important it is to protect your assets and how one can use offshore banking to accomplish that -- not HIDE, but PROTECT what is rightfully yours.

We do know that the foreign banking industry is going to have a hard time complying with U.S. legislation and we are already seeing the results of some French banks who now don't want to spend the effort nor expense to cater to U.S. clients. How all this will play out is yet to be seen, but as of 2013, it will likely be more difficult to move your assets outside of the U.S. Purchasing property in France is certainly one way to effectively invest in euros while the U.S. dollar is weakening.

For those of you who would like personal advice, and who wish to begin a program now to protect your assets, I recommend you contact Joel Nagel and/or Peter Zipper:

Joel M. Nagel, Esquire,
Nagel & Associates, LLC

Peter A. Zipper
Caye International Bank, Ltd

PART II
MIDNIGHT IN A LITERARY PARIS

Yesterday afternoon I settled into a theater seat to see Woody Allen's latest film, Midnight in Paris. For fans of Woody Allen, such as myself (and who mostly seem to live outside the U.S.!), the film is one of his most charming, especially because it is backdropped by a romantic view of the City of Light...in the dark, in the rain, and in a variety of different epochs. No matter which point in time you are taken, the city manages to look just about the same, and both you as an observer and the characters who experience the time travel, seamlessly move between them, thanks to a never-changing city.

The main character, a struggling, but romanticizing writer, is exactly like so many people I know who either visit Paris often or live here to fulfill their dreams of walking the same walks, sitting in the same cafés, socializing at the same party venues as famous Americans in Paris of the past...F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Cole Porter, Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Stein and many others. Allen's view of Paris in the past brought me full circle to the present, where in 2011, we are surrounding by so many of our own future Paris-based American-born celebrities -- the authors, artists and philosophers who will be the next generation's idols: Diane Johnson, David Sedaris, Patricia Wells...and so many more. In another 50 years, these creative souls will be revered and idolized as were their forebears. If Woody Allen is still alive, he may be immortalizing them, too!

In the coming weeks, many of our own idols will be offering up their prosaic wisdom to all us observers and fans. I urge you to take advantage of the opportunity to see Paris in the present...so as not to long for "a 'golden past' [that] is a recurring theme of any time period, as some prefer to be nostalgic about a romanticized past rather than accepting the messy present and uncertain future." (Wikipedia.com) Mark your calendars:

***MURDER IN PASSY!...BY CARA BLACK

PAN Writer Series (Paris Alumni Network)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Award-winning author of murder mysteries, Cara Black is best known for her Aimée Léduc mystery novels featuring a female private investigator based in Paris. Listed in "Great Women Mystery Writers," Cara will talk about her latest novel, "Murder in Passy." Join us for a glass of wine and a thrilling discussion!
RSVP to Laurel Zuckerman at pariswritersnews@gmail.com

"Murder in Passy" -- an Aimée Leduc Investigation in Paris
Saturday June 11, 2011
2 p.m.
Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore
22 Rue St Paul
75004 Paris
01 48 04 75 08
Métro - Saint Paul

***MEET AND GREET AUTHOR DAVID DOWNIE AT THE VILLAGE VOICE BOOKSHOP
Tuesday, June 7th,
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Village Voice bookshop
6 rue Princesse
75006 Paris

***A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES WITH JUDITH MERIANS
"Psycho"
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
7:30 p.m.
The American Library in Paris
10, rue du Général Camou
75007 Paris
Judith Merians will explain why films require their own creative conventions and how filmmakers employ visual and aural techniques to enhance and deepen the tale with as few words as possible. And to add to the enjoyment Judith will fill you in on some of the behind-the-scenes history of the evening's film. No RSVP required, just drop on in and join us for a Night at the Movies. Find out how Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, manipulated the emotions of the audience and created a voyeuristic experience for the viewers. The 1960 film Psycho is considered one of Hitchcock's best films in which he created unforgettable characters and scenes. Are you still afraid to take a shower when you're home alone? Blame Hitchcock.

***CECILIA WOLOCH AND HEATHER HARTLEY PRESENT...
12 Young Poets from the University of Southern California
Plus readings by Cecilia Woloch and Heather Hartley
Free and open to the public!
Friday, June 10, 2011
7 p.m.
Shakespeare & Company
37 rue de la Bûcherie
75005 Paris
01 43 25 40 93
Metro: St. Michel
Poets: Cordelia Arterian, Kelly Baron, Matthew Cruz, Corinne DeWitt, Jessica Eller, Sophia Kang, Bryan King, Rose O'Sullivan, Andrew Ramirez, Diana Rosenberger, Diana Vaden, Lesley Wasserman
Come hear the poems written by these exciting new poets during the month-long “The Poet in Paris” course led by Cecilia Woloch for the University of Southern California.

A la prochaine...
Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. Take special note that our guest speaker at Parler Paris Après Midi June 14th will be Karen Henrich, author of "Practical Paris" and publisher of Tap Books...who will talking about how to get your work published and read by thousands, perhaps millions in today's digital world. Visit parlerparis/apresmidi.html for more information.

Who's on First? Or... What's On in the First?

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Fri, 27 May 2011 16:52:00 +0000

Les Halles...Let the Renovation Begin!

Who's on First? Or...
What's On in the First?

French Property Insider
Volume IX, Issue 21
May 26, 2011
Paris, France
FrenchPropertyInsider.com

Bonjour French Property Insider Subscriber,

Les Halles, located in the very center of the city (1st arrondissement, once known as the "belly of Paris" when it was the city's central wholesale marketplace, was demolished in 1971 and replaced with an underground shopping center that the city has regretted ever since.

The marketplace was moved to Rungis. Beneath it is the underground station Châtelet-Les-Halles, a central hub of the RER, Paris's express commuter rail system where 750,000 travelers pass daily. During the conversion period, the site was one enormous open pit, nicknamed "le trou des Halles" (the hole of Les Halles) and was an eyesore for many years at the foot of the church of Saint-Eustache.

Now 40 years later, Les Halles is undergoing another massive renovation to right the wrong of the past and once again, it's looking like "Le Trou." Architect David Mangin won the award to redesign the project a few years ago and the work has begun with a vengeance. What is planned is "a new inviting public garden, a larger pedestrian district, a new building inspired by nature, a greater number of easier-to-use pathways and routes, a larger, more functional regional train station, an enlarged, refurbished shopping center, more cultural facilities and a reorganized underground road network."Completion is scheduled for 2016.

What is most fascinating from our perspective is of course, not only what Les Halles will become, but how it will affect the real estate in the adjacent districts. For now, one must travel around it, rather than cross the once winding paths of the garden to go from the first arrondissement to the second. This cuts the second off from the center of the city for the time being, but 2016 isn't so far off. If Les Halles promises to be all the city hopes for it, all adjacent districts will benefit from the renewal. My guess is that property here will be prime...as long as the changes help reduce the crime and bring a higher class of resident as well as tourists to the now less desirable city center.

There is an information center at the southeastern corner where you can see the miniature model and pick up brochures. More information is at the official Web site at http:/www.parisleshalles.fr

Just a few blocks down from Les Halles is another project undergoing massive renovation -- La Samaritaine. This was one of Paris' first department stores having opened in 1869 at the foot of Pont-Neuf (the city's oldest bridge), which closed in 2005 when the building didn't meet safety codes. Declared a historical monument, the 11-story Art Déco structure was known well by tourists for it's beautiful architecture and outstanding views of the city from the rooftop terrace, if not for its wares.

La Samaritaine will reopen prior to Les Halles -- in 2014, as a fusion of hotel (80 rooms), shopping center, office and apartment complex, with a new glass facade and the interior entirely renovated. It promises to provide 2,400 new jobs. What will happen with the rooftop terrace is entirely under speculation. I have my own fantasies for what is possible there!

You may visit the project at 83, rue de Rivoli and for more information, visit http://www.paris.fr

Both renovation projects promise to bring the 1st arrondissement to a new level -- more befitting the heart of Paris than we've witnessed to date. I urge all investors to consider renewed interest in the first district -- as with all these improvements, the value of real estate is sure to rise.

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
Editor, French Property Insider

Email: fpi@adrianleeds.com

P.S. Next week we will be reporting on tonight's event, "Legal and Compliance Issues for the US Expatriate," presented by Joel M. Nagel of Nagel & Associates, LLC and Peter A. Zipper, Caye International Bank, Ltd. Stay tuned...

A Photographic Eye on Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Photo by Michael Honegger

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

The sun simply hasn't stopped shining, although rain is predicted for Thursday and Friday. We've all become spoiled by the two solid months of warm sunshine -- sitting out in the cafés, donning our sunglasses, leaving our cares at home...while we soak up the Vitamin D and put color into our cheeks. It's not the Paris we all know and love...cool, gray, rainy, serious. I've started to wonder if I'm in the right city!

I've had visiting friends (who all claim to have brought the good weather with them) and that means there has been more opportunity to take in some of the photographic art scene. The city is overflowing with creative juice, in the museums, in the galleries, on the streets and even in some private apartments.

Saturday evening American Grace Teshima opened her door and all of her Montmartre windows to all who cared to come see the work of 15-Paris-based photographers displayed on her apartment walls in an exhibition titled "L'Esprit du Lieu" (Spirit of Place). It's a regular monthly affair for Chez Grace -- an event for "art-lovers, 'Montmartrois,' out-of-towners and culture-seekers of every stripe" to meet chez Grace to network and enjoy, as she claims, "life/love/art!"

Among the photographers, whose work was all quite outstanding, was Meredith Mullins (a long time acquaintance, http://www.meredithmullins.artspan.com/), with images from India to Senegal, from Paris to Venice, from snowy parks to rain-glistening streets. I found her photos both provocative and sensual. She says of her own work, "This collection of photographs is about traveling outside of time. It’s about images so classical and without boundary that they seem timeless. It’s about images with such a sweep of moments captured in a fraction of a second...that they seem to defy time. It’s about being set free." (To be in Grace's good graces and be on her special mailing list so you can attend her next "affair d'art," email her at grace.teshima@gmail.com)

Earlier in the week, dining at a photographer friend's apartment in the 15th arrondissement, Michael Honegger, I couldn't help but notice the new "Vee Speers" portrait of a young man on his wall. The image was so arresting that I couldn't take my eyes off of it all through dinner. That's classic for the Australian artist's work, who's show at the Galerie ACTE 2) in the 8th just opened titled "Immortal." These are portraits that make you feel more like the subject is actually you, rather than you looking at the subject -- their piercing glares burn holes in your soul and keep you coming back for more as if in a trance. I can't wait to get to the gallery at 41, rue Artois.

TED Prize winning artist, JR, just opened an installation piece from his project "Inside Out" at the Centre Pompidou -- a photo booth were you can share your personal story and image with Inside Out. You may remember him from the installation of "Women are Heroes" along the Seine one year ago. Wearing his uniform dark glasses so as to remain anonymous, he was one of the first to come to my daughter's exhibition in New York, so I had the privilege of meeting this young genius whose Web site claims he "owns the biggest art gallery in the world." It is 'the world,' as the street is his showplace for concepts that rock the world by making us truly ponder our own existence. Learn more about JR's project at insideoutproject.net/ and about the installation at centrepompidou.fr/

So, put down your camera and take to the museums, the galleries, the street and even private apartments to see Paris through the eyes of the photographers who present a new view on our world.

A la prochaine...
Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. I hope to see many of you at tomorrow night's presentation of "Legal and Compliance Issues for the US Expatriate." If you are not already registered, do so now before it's too late! Scroll down for more information or visit French Property onference.

Eye Prefer the Lucky Tour of Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:03:00 +0000

Taking the Tour of the Market with Eye Prefer Paris

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Monday, May 23, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

Every once in a while, American in Paris Richard Nahem and I play Backgammon for relaxing, yet mentally stimulating recreation. It's one of the oldest board games in the history of the world, and although luck of the roll of the dice factors into the outcome, strategy plays a more important role in the long run. I have always said that it mirrors life in the same way -- 50% luck, 50% what you do with that luck.

And so luck would have it that Richard strategically invited me to join in on one of his many private three-hour tours of Paris under the guise of his tour company, "Eye Prefer Paris Tours: See the Paris Tourists Never See."

The tour started Sunday morning in the bright sunshine at 10 a.m. at the Bastille Market -- certainly the largest open-air market in Paris and possibly in France. Counting the stalls could be a challenge in itself, but more of a challenge, and certainly more fun would be to simply test out all the merchants to find the best among them.

Travel Oyster Blogger Geraldine Kaylor chuckled when she heard that I had been to the market with Richard and his clients -- a really sweet young couple from Chicago. She wrote that her husband said he thought I "only went to the Bastille market when we dragged you [me] there with the promise of oysters." No joke, since virtually giving up cooking or keeping anything in the fridge other than champagne, wine and pickles (which never get eaten), the market gets sadly overlooked and forgotten.

Richard strolled us up and down the aisles, pointing out various specialties and providing detail on some of the things one would never see Stateside (joking all the way), which is actually almost everything! Eggs unrefrigerated, for one, not to mention the offals (heads, brains, trotters, tripe, etc. of butchered cows, pigs, lamb...) and the assortment of wild mushrooms and other produce. The market is no new wonder to a veteran Parisian such as myself, but with every visit, I am amazed by the scope of it, the merchants, the shoppers, the produce, the activity...buzzing like a hive within a few blocks that comes and goes just twice a week (Thursdays and Sundays) to enhance the lives of those who take part (except me).

What is most fascinating are all the independent merchants who focus on just one thing...and make that the best of the lot...but I go as an observer, trailing behind Richard and his clients while he expounds on the benefits of this and that, leaving with nothing but the sights and smells in my memory while the fridge remains empty. It is then that I wonder how it all became so "blasé." (This French word really says it all.)

Meanwhile, Richard's tours are not for the blasé -- but for those who want to discover, learn and be informed, while getting to know the City of Light from a new light...the inside one. From the market, he took us to Gérard Mulot's Marais bakery where we indulged on buttery, crispy croissants and "pains au chocolat" -- just about the best in the city. Then we wandered into La Place des Vosges, took a look at the part in the northeast corner that was ravaged by fire last week and ventured into the Damman Fréres tea boutique, one of the most beautiful shops in the Place if not in all of Paris. The 17th-century beams, even with their telltale bug-eaten age, still show signs of the original designs.

It was here I left Richard and the couple to complete their tour of the Marais, including the Hôtel de Sully gardens, rue Saint-Antoine, the Hôtel de Beauvais, and finishing with rue des Rosiers. His tours take you to all parts of Paris...and he can customize the tour as you like.

There are others who perform similar tours of Paris, but in different ways. Canadian Karen Henrich of "Nuit Blanche Tours: Tours for Girls Who Want to Have Fun" and "Chic Walks: Leading You to a Shopping Temptation" is here in town with a group of CEO's who are using Paris as their base for both work and pleasure, thanks to her organization. Besides being one of the best guides for all things frivolous and fun in Paris with appropriate apps for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, she is also the author and publisher of "Practical Paris" and publisher of my "Top 100 Cheap Insider Paris Restaurants" guide.

Taking a tour with a North American who speaks your language and is culturally in tune with you can give you a look at the city of Paris in a way that you can understand it. While the official city guides can perhaps provide a more in depth account of the city's history, I doubt they'll have the same 'heart' -- and understand what nuances will really 'push your buttons.' Eye Prefer Paris certainly pushed mine!

So, luck has it that you've stumbled onto these entrepreneurial Americans as I have and now it's up to you to strategize and take advantage of such luck! (Play a game of Backgammon for me...)

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. Two important events are coming up: this Thursday evening's special presentation Legal and Compliance Issues for the US Expatriate (visit frenchpropertyconference for more information) and Tuesday, June 14th's Parler Paris Après Midi with David Downie (visit parlerparis/apresmidi for more information). Don't miss either one.

Nice is Nice, Talk on Tax

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Thu, 19 May 2011 20:06:00 +0000

Nice is Nice, No?

French Property Insider
Volume IX, Issue 20
May 19, 2011
Paris, France
FrenchPropertyInsider.com

Bonjour French Property Insider Subscriber,

NICE IS NICE

Today I made an official offer on an apartment in Nice in the "quartier" known as the "Carré d'Or" just off Place Masséna. It's expensive, chic, and well worth it, given its location and immediate amenities.

(Read about it in more detail in yesterday's Parler Paris Nouvellettre®:parlerparis.com/issues/pparis18-5-11.html)

Many people have asked, "Why Nice?"

Besides the fact that 'Nice is nice,' I strongly believe that Nice and the adjacent Riviera towns are going to see value growth over the next few years, particularly once the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) goes to Nice direct from Paris. The Nice airport is already international with flights from Air Berlin, Air France, Alitalia, American Airlines, BLU Express, Easyjet, German Wings, Sterling Airlines and Virgin Express. That makes Nice the air travel hub for the entire Côte d'Azur and travel to Nice is not expensive -- flights from Paris are as little as 70€ round trip.

The TGV from Paris to Nice is scheduled to be completed by 2025 and will reduce travel time from 5 hours 25 minutes to 3 hours 50 minutes. It will also improve the service between Marseille and Nice to be within one hour of each other. Developers are predicting it will reduce the traffic at Nice Airport, currently the country’s third largest, eliminating about half its routes. My bet, however, is that because of the ease of travel, the entire area will become increasingly more visited -- perhaps a factor they are not considering?

(If you're interested in learning more, here's a great article at:http://www.thetransportpolitic.com)

The Côte d'Azur is also poorly servicing the North American client. If you are British or Italian, there are lots of property specialists who can think like you think and satisfy your needs and desires, but culturally ours are quite different and few represent our style of living and traveling. When I visited a beautiful apartment under complete renovation in Old Nice, it was evident that the space in the bedroom would not accommodate a bed larger than 140cm (double), nor had they planned for closets to house large suitcases. We Americans are big people who need lots of space. We travel with large suitcases filled with all our favorite necessities (I know many who don't leave home without their own pillows!) and we want all the creature comforts our hard-earned money can buy, "n'est-ce pas?" They hadn't thought about any of that -- but instead went purely for the esthetics without concern for comfort or convenience...not at all American style thinking.

I am convinced that Americans love the Riviera as much as they love Paris and Provence and would be happy spending more time there if they were made to feel a bit more welcome. We hope to be a part of the pioneering spirit as a result of my soon-to-be testing of the 'Mediterranean waters.'

(Stay tuned for more or write me to learn how we can help you become a pioneering, too.)

TAX ON TALK

The word "tax" seems to be synonymous with the word "France" -- since this is one of the highest taxed societies in the world. And even with this, the country is still falling short and seeking new ways of earning more money, particularly from those who have more of the wealth (at least this part seems fair enough).

A draft has been presented to the Parliament and may be enacted by July of this year, with some measures to enter into enforcement before 2012. For now, these are proposed amendments.

Wealth Tax will be reformed, but fortunately for foreigners, the tax is only assessed on real estate held in France, and not on the value held by a mortgage company...one very good reason for mortgaging your French real estate.

As of the first of 2012, it is proposed that non-residents (including French taxpayers who have left France) owning residential property that is at their disposal and not rented out will be subject to a new property tax, unless more than 75% of their worldwide income is derived from French sources. The tax base will be the deemed annual rent and the rate will be 20%. Expats that lived in France for three years within the ten year period before they left France will be exempt for a period of up to six years.

Clearly this concept is designed to raise money and reduce their housing shortage -- since so much property remains unoccupied in France. Those with second homes will be hit harder than those who have investment properties.

An exit tax will be imposed on those transferring their tax residence out of France. Like our Capital Controls Act, France is trying to keep its euros inside its borders -- and it will concern transfers as of this past March.

For more information about the French tax system, see this pdf in English:http://www.impots.gouv.fr/

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds
Editor, French Property Insider

Email: fpi@adrianleeds.com

P.S. If you have not already reserved your place for the Special Event: "Legal and Compliance Issues for the US Expatriate" presented by Joel M. Nagel of Nagel & Associates, LLC and Peter A. Zipper, Caye International Bank, Ltd, there are only a few seats left, so do not delay. Scroll down for more information or visitFrenchPropertyConference.com

From the Last Minute in Nice to a New York Minute Turn of Events

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Wed, 18 May 2011 18:52:00 +0000

View from the Balcony, Rue Masséna, Nice

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

At the very last moment of our three-day stay in Nice, the 'umpteenth' trip I've made in the quest for a "pied-à-terre" on the Côte d'Azur, an apartment came available that had the attributes I'd been seeking: windows, light, view, balcony, great location, air conditioning, relative quiet, charm, not higher than three flights without a lift...and as it turns out, was an 'animal' almost impossible to find in the Old Town, my first location choice for rental and return on investment purposes.

After realizing the impossible was just that, I expanded the search to include the area around Place Garibaldi, Place Masséna (the area known as the "Carré d'Or") and the Old Port, also highly rentable. That's when one of my best agents spotted this apartment, fresh on the market.

With only two hours to the return flight time, we rushed over to see it, but fully expecting it to be another 'not-so-perfect' apartment. Earlier that day we viewed an apartment soon to be under renovation in a building on Place Masséna which was a Notaire's archive, the many boxes of files to be moved or tossed in lieu of residential space, with the installation of a lift and "haute de gamme" furnishings. The potential was there, but the views from the smallish windows was not so pleasing. It left me cold, in spite of its outstanding location and the promise of luxury appointments.

This final property is on the pedestrian street of rue Masséna in the Carré d'Or, in the immediate vicinity of such illustrious merchants as Cartier, Chanel, Emporio Armani, Hermès, Charles Jourdan, Kenzo, Lacoste, Lancel, Longchamp, Sonia Rykiel and Louis Vuitton...not bad neighbors! The building is beautiful...white with gray shutters, balconies, and carved motifs above the windows with a musical theme. There are only four apartments in the building, this one on the third floor up immaculate and beautiful white marble steps with low risers that make the climb "du gateau" ("piece of cake").

The apartment is currently a very large studio stripped of all its necessities, awaiting the installation of a kitchen, bath, storage and a wall to create a bedroom, but has dark rich parquet and stone-brick walls that ooze charm and luxury. The orientation is south facing so the light is indirect from morning to night. From the balcony, one can see all down rue Masséna to the Place, where shoppers are strolling or dining at the nearby cafés.

Yep, I fell in love (!) and am now negotiating with the seller regarding the renovation and the price. And yep, it's "cher" (expensive), but in my opinion, worth it.

One block away from the apartment, we hopped on the 98 bus headed to the Nice airport and quickly settled into the Air France President's Club Lounge to await the boarding of the flight. There everyone was glued to the television watching the scandalous turn of events surrounding IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn's New York arrest for the attempted rape of a hotel maid! The news has rocked the nation, if not the world!...and of course, the Socialist Party of which he is affiliated and was a presidential candidate.

This is a man who was the 10th Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, an economist, lawyer, and politician, a full professor of economics at the Paris Institute for Political Studies ("Sciences Po"), Minister of Economy and Finance from 1997 to 1999 and sought the nomination in the primaries to the Socialist presidential candidacy for the 2007 election (defeated by Ségolène Royal). In other words, this is one of France's most illustrious politicians...who, guilty or not, has certainly stirred the political pot and turned the nation's (and the world's) eyes toward France.

The scandal is fascinating, as the events of the arrest, the evidence and the trial unfold, along with the ramifications, which include a shift in currency values and political party strength in the upcoming elections. My favorite article about the event is BBC's Europe Editor Gavin Hewitt's titled "Strauss-Kahn affair turns French politics upside down" to be found athttp://www.bbc.co.uk/.

As a woman, it is always surprising how a so-called intelligent man can let his 'other head' get the best of the one sitting on his shoulders...but look how often the two seem to get confused, French, American or otherwise. Remember Bill and Monica? We are not without some guilt...

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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Outside the Proverbial Nice Box

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian Leeds for Parler Paris) — Mon, 16 May 2011 18:16:00 +0000

Looking Over Nice

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Monday, May 16, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

Nice is brimming with tourists of all kinds, perhaps thanks to the Cannes Film Festival just next door, or not -- it manages to attract an international crowd regardless of what may be happening just 'next door.' This is one reason I'm so keen on finding an apartment -- for personal use as well as investment and to help establish services for North Americans who are not so well represented here as are the British and the Italians.

Upon landing here Saturday afternoon and having the customary Salade Niçoise on the Cours Saleya, we went immediately to visit the apartment on which I had made an offer at number 3, next to the Police Municipale. Almost 80 steps up to the fourth floor (and actually five flights), without being too out of breath, we walked into a spacious two bedroom apartment that unfortunately had a floor plan that had been very poorly designed. The best views were from the bedroom windows rather than from the living room and there were numerous other issues that needed correction. Most of those could be fixed -- I call that the "smoke and mirrors" part of renovation and decoration, but the disrepair of the 18th-century building and the multiple flights of stairs, once again, would forever be a problem. We're going to cross this one off the list, sadly.

Meanwhile the agents are scrambling to find others to show us, which is no easy task. This is one of the most difficult property markets to cross my path -- even a bit more difficult than Le Marais, if one could believe it! There are numerous apartments on the Promenade des Anglais for sale, but they are decidedly more expensive if they have balconies and sea views -- but the Promenade is basically a big noisy highway and has little appeal to me personally. Old Town is defined and limited -- most of the apartments that have light or views are on elevated levels with no lifts. The buildings are old and in disrepair. The narrow streets lined with bars and restaurants make living over them noisy. Finding just the right combination for a good purchase is not only difficult, but virtually impossible.

There are other areas to consider -- around Place Masséna and near the Old Port -- and I've started to think outside the proverbial Nice box to consider these areas as well for lack of other options. All this makes me wonder if all this time is wasted or not. With so little property worth buying, even if thousands of you out there would like to have a pied-à-terre on the Côte d'Azur of your own, could we satisfy your desires...just as mine have not been? Sure, there are lots of other towns that would be lovely for second homes and a few for good return on investment -- such as Villefranche sur Mer and Cannes...but Nice is one that provides year-round returns better than the others. For those who like an urban environment with lots of cultural outlets, Nice has more than most, and is also the hub for all of the Riviera.

Sunday afternoon with a reader of Parler Paris who is also earnestly looking for a property in the adjacent towns, sitting at the Café du Palais next door to the entrance of the apartment I rejected a few weeks ago, I was struck with nostalgia and remorse. Did I make a mistake by rejecting it? What if I decided to take the chance and purchase it? And if I did, would they let me or would the seller refuse?

By the time you read this, I will have visited another apartment on Place Masséna and whatever else our buyer's agent can come up with...but I will likely be going home empty handed and still on the prowl for the dream apartment in Nice. Let's hope not!

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris

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P.S. This exercise is leading to building a staff of trusted individuals who can assist me and our clients in finding, purchasing, renovating and renting Riviera properties in the American style to which we have become accustomed. If you are interested in learning more, email me at adrianleeds.com.