Moving to Paris, please help with where to live!
 

I am moving to Paris for 3 months starting in April of 07 and I'm not sure where to live. I've found two similar, charming apartments, one in St. germain area at the corner of rue de seine and rue St. Sulpice; the other on Rue Mouffetard at the corner of rue de l'arbalete, at the bottom near the church. And I can't make up my mind! I'd love to hear from anyone with an opinion, but especially some locals. A little about me: 29 yr old male, writer - in the US I prefer neighborhoods like Venice and Silverlake to Beverly Hills or the Sunset Strip; in NY I lived in the meatpacking district and lower east, although I'll always love the Village and SOHO even though, yes, they're not the same as they used to be. Thoughts?

I'd ask these two bloggers. I've been too Paris twice, but I can't help in this regard.

The first is a Catherine, a Brit who has lived in Paris for 10 years and the other, I don't know as much about.

I believe they both have e-mail contacts on their blogs in their profiles.

http://www.petiteanglaise.com/

http://cyberfrance.blogspot.com/

Good luck. My hubby feels living in Paris would be the ideal location.

I think that you may actually prefer the Marais instead of the two choices you have. But choosing between St. Germain and the Latin Quarter I'd opt for St. Germain.

If you prefer areas like 'Venice' and 'Silverlake', those two places you found -- particularly the one in Saint Germain ('Beverly Hills') -- are pure poison.
You would be better off looking around Belleville or the Canal Saint Martin area, which are more in line with the funky side of Paris.

You might even like the Bastille/Republique/Oberkampf area, east of the Marais. It's similar to Manhattan's East Village, young, vibrant, lots of clubs, artists, etc. Probably cheaper too.

The Saint Germain des pres location would be a good choice if you absolutely want to AVOID locals. There are still some of them around rue Mouffetard but both places are ultra-touristy.
Bastille, the limit Bastille-Marais, Republique, Buttes Chaumont, ... may be closer from what you are looking for

I used to live in Paris, and noise in Paris is a terrific problem. As a writer, you might want a lot of quiet. I suggest you pick the quieter of those two aparments.

It seems that you haven't been to Paris so you don't have any idea of what you'll get until you get it, like buying a cat in a sack. If you are so particular about your surroundings then take a hotel for a week and look around. Go over to Shakespeare & Co. and ask for help. S&Co is writer's hangout. It is not easy to find a good deal, comfortable but also reasonable. Anything on the internet is geared for tourists.

I had a cozy fully furnished efficiency for 5 months near Place Maubert. I like that neighborhood. It is near the action but a quiet neighborhood.

In my humble opinion, it's Paris, so you can't go TOO wrong.

The area around St. Sulpice is one of my favorites--in part because I love the Cafe de la Mairie across from the Church. I go there each morning as a general rule. Rue Seine is also one of my favorite streets. I love to walk past all the art galleries. I actually think it's a bit quieter than some areas, and it's incredibly convenient for both walking and public transport. That said, it's a somewhat upscale area within an already upscale area and may not be to your liking for that reason. Rue Mouffetard is fun because of the street market, but at least when I've been there, it's been rather noisy and crowded with tourists/locals. I'm not sure I'd want to live there.

I can't disagree more with the above post. The area around St Germain des Pres is very congested, heavily thronged with tourists, and I can't imagine it is quieter than the lower end of Mouffetard, which is much less touristy and more local in flavor.

I strongly go for the advice to look east or north. I don't follow Paris property prices (too heartbreaking), but my guess is that the areas you're looking in will be particularly expensive. The Marais too (though that's more Greenwich Village) - but go east of Bastille and I think it may be cheaper. I've stayed lots of times near the Hopital St Antoine and the Marche Aligre, which is a mixed but 'gentrifying' neighbourhood which would fit your bill and, I suspect, be cheaper. Hardly a tourist to be seen, but in easy reach of most places by metro.

For quiet, look for places advertised as 'cote cour'. 'Calme' seems to be something every Paris estate agent wants to stress, but your best bet is to get somewhere on an upper floor and facing the inner courtyard rather than the street.

The best idea above, imo, is to get a hotel for a week and look around in person for an apartment.

It's always great to be able to take a separate trip to go apartment hunting, but I think most male 29 year old writers don't need a lot when it comes to an apartment and that most Paris apartments are cramped and falling apart at the seams but -- hey, it's Paris!

I wouldn't worry too much about booking a place in advance based on pictures. And as long as you stay out of the 7th and 8th arrondisemets, you'll be in easy walking distance of affordable, ordinary spots to shop and eat. For just 3 months, I'd prefer to be very centrally located, even if it meant tripping over a lot of tourists. I'm presuming you want to spend a lot of time at the Louvre, the museums, the churches, the bookstores, in the gardens, etc.

Be sure to get up to St Denis in the 3 months you are there. Go on a sunny day.

PS, to others: I realize that affordable eats can be found in the 7th and 8th, but I think the atmosphere there is so stuffy and institutional that it just isn't what the OP is looking for. At least St Germain, if obnoxiously chi-chi in parts, is more like Soho than the Upper East Side.

Thanks for all the replies and opinions. I would love to hear more about the Marais, and if any particular area/streets there are anybody's favorites. I am definately not looking for quiet - in fact prefer a somewhat noisy locale. I'm also looking for something central, and aware that both the apt's I've found are touristy, but I've lived in some pretty touristy spots (the village, venice), and loved them - but there were always plenty of locals to balance it out. I've also heard that there are far less tourists in the Spring, when I'll be there, than in the summer. ultimately, I think a few people reflect what I feel - I'm just glad to be going, and after the first 3 months, will have a much better idea where to live when I go back in the fall.

Travelnut, I would agree that Saint Germain is very touristy and crowded as a whole. Clearly, Blvd. Saint Germain is horribly congested, but there are quieter streets than others in the area. In my experience, I haven't found rue de Seine itself to be packed with throngs of people and having sat for hours in the cafe overlooking Place de Saint Sulpice, there are plenty of locals too.

I believe the church you refer to is St Marcel, and that area sounds just perfect for you. You are at the end of the Mouffetard, so you have all of that area to explore all the way to the Sorbonne, including Pantheon and not far from Jardins Luxembourg, etc. There are loads of cafes and students. It is not very touristy at that end.
But if you go about one block in the other direction you will be in an entirely residential area - plenty of local businesses such as supermarkets, local restaurants, drug stores, and gorgeous buildings...but not tourists at all. It is really Parisian living...very close to great bus lines and good Metro stops...but you feel like one of the regulars...and you will not hear any English spoken. You are right on the border of tourist and resident.

Both areas are touristy, and St Germain rather "bougeois", and in neither has a particularly young population (apart from students in daytime around Mouffetard). I think you'd be happier on the Rive Droite, in the Republique/Canal St Martin area. Best advice given is to rent a place for a week and then decide.

I live in Paris, but in a stuffy neighbourhood (the 16th) that you wouldn't want to live in. I second the votes for the Marais and for the Oberkampf/Canal St. Martin areas. If you see any listings in the 17th around Batignolles, these would also be worth considering. It's not as funky as those mentioned above, but it is a lively, up-and-coming, real French neighbourhood.

I used to live in Ocean Park and worked and had friends in Venice, Hollywood and Silver Lake so I know exactly what you are talking about. It is too bad you haven't even been to Paris to make a decision where to live, but it is only three months, so either would be fine for that time, actually.

Personally, I don't like the main St Germain area that much because it is so crowded and touristy. It is not like Venice or Silver Lake, more like the expensive areas of Santa Monica are now (didn't use to be when I was there -- but Montana Ave, etc.) or Westwood or main Pasadena. Of course, French, so not exactly the same flavor. I know Venice got pretty expensive (it used to be a cheap dump when I lived there, but fun, that was the former hippie days), but does have some designer shops in areas, but it's still not as luxe or chic as St Germain.

I like the rue Mouffetard area and stayed in an apt. on rue Mirbel once a couple weeks, and there are some tourists there, but nothing like around St Germain and it's not nearly as upscale. Mirbel isn't too far from Arbalete, about a block away, but other side of rue Monge. That church is St Medard (don't know what or where St Marcel's is that cabovacation names, but I don't think there is any church around there with that name). I would think you'd prefer that area to St Germain, but one never knows -- I do.

I think there are other areas more like what you named, but I wouldn't call the Marais one of them. Really, for three months, either of those locations will be fine and if you found two great apts and can't make up your mind, and have nothing to distinguish between them in size or price -- it's hard to imagine someone with such few problems....

I would want to see the apts for me to choose, but if they were identical and same price, I'd choose the one near Mouffetard.

St. Medard it is. Blvd St Marcel is the next street over that I refer to - I am just a confused individual :)

All (and when I say "all" I mean 3) the Parisian hipsters I've met lately (and when I say "lately" I mean in the last year or so) live in the 13th. Could one of the Paris dwellers on this board clarify? It's a large arrondisement, isn't it?

Just curious.

I lived for 3 years around the corner from rue Mouffetard. It is very central and has lots of locals about. If the apartments are equal, m², floor elevator concierge etc the one in the 5th should be cheaper. My favorite area to live is the 15th but only because the commute to work is easiest.

Go for rue Mouffetard it's less touristy and has great bus routes near by.

April, i.e. Easter holidays starts the tourist season -- there will be tons of them everywhere.

moxie, the Butte aux Cailles in the 13th is one of the original alternative neighborhoods in Paris. More recently, it has become chic to move into the heart of Chinatown and feel as though you are living on the other side of the planet.

Well I certainly appreciate all the advice and thoughts - I think I have a pretty good idea. I have been to Paris before - 11 years ago! and swore I'd be back for longer, not just as a backpacker passing through at 18. Look how long it's taken me. Back then I spent, as far as I remember, a majority of my time in the Latin Quarter, but I was just so in love with the whole of Paris I don't particularly remember which parts were where exactly, and I imagine things have changed since then anyway. It does seem that the areas around the Bastille, Oberkampf/Republique and Canal St. Martin would suit me best- but since I'm only going to be there for 3 months (ah the days when that seemed an eternity) I'd like to be centrally located, because frankly I will be doing quite a bit of touristy things myself (I could probably spend a week in the Louvre, no problem.) Those "hipper" areas have also proven to be twice as difficult to find suitable apt's, are just as expensive beleive it or not, and though I agree checking into a hotel for a week and looking would be ideal, it's simply not an option for a number of reasons. Ultimately the beauty is that no matter where I live I'm hardly stuck in that neighborhood, everything is so ridiculously close and easy to get to, either by foot or metro, especially compared with Los Angeles! Thanks to all for chiming in. If only all choices in life were this "tough."

Oberkampf is still riding the edge of being trendy but the part of the 12th from Gare de Lyon to Bastille is also a good option.

freeclarence, you may have forgotten what an incredibly compact city Paris is and the fact that you can be "central" within 10-15 minutes by bus or metro from about 80% of the city. Also, the number of tourists has increased about 300% since your last visit, so it's something to think about before choosing the tourist center.

Well, in any event, will you let us know where you end up and how things are going for you in Paris?

From the Republique or Gare de l'Est metros you can be anywhere in Paris within 10-20 minutes...

All of which means that freeclearance can be out of the Latin Quarter and to the Bastille or Republique quickly. The trains run both ways.

Have a good time, freeclearance!

If you spread out a map of Paris, pick up a compass, put the point on the Cathedral of Notre Dame - arguably the "center" of Paris- and draw some arcs, you'll find that parts of the 11th arrondissement are closer to that center than parts of the 5th arrondissement.

Logic and geography aside, as many who posted on this string have suggested, your own "living history" points, in Paris, toward the glorious, vibrant, youthful east.