Intex

The apartment we were to rent for our daughter & friend, during their 9 month stay in Paris at the Sorbonne fell through. Any suggestions for finding a med-term furnished rental in the 6-7th ? Anyone know of any realtors that may handle this once we get there.
? The ones I have contacted, did not reply. The Sorbonne was not much use either.
Thanks- getting desperate with only 3 weeks to go.

kerouac

Those are not the arrondissements to look for student housing. All sorts of university residences have been built in the outlying arrondissements, however.

analogue

Have you tried the official websites for student housing in Paris?

http://www.adele.org/public/residenc...lle_mere=PARIS

hopscotch

The Sorbonne is in the 5th.

You really have to look at the apartments before making a decision. I took a hotel room and looked every day for a couple of weeks before finding a place that was suitable and affordable. It was in the 5th, about half way between the Sorbonne and the Seine. Great neighborhood.

Christina

I don't think that adele website is any "official" website, as it has ads on it and isn't any official university or national organization that I know of. It also doesn't list university residence halls. It may offer lots of good info, though, it appears to have some private student-oriented foyers or residence halls. There are others, and Cite Universitaire has its own website (www.ciup.fr).

I think CNOUS/CROUS is the official organization for student housing and other information (they have an office just a tad north of Port Royal RER stop). http://www.cnous.fr/

The Sorbonne is usually helpful to students, although in some ways, they would probably tell you to contact CNOUS or Cite Universitaire. I've dealt with them, and they were helpful to me, so that's unusual they wouldn't offer any suggestions (if that's what you mean). If you mean they wouldn't help you rent an apt., that doesn't surprise me.

Here's a private foyer in the 14th arr.:
http://www.fiap.asso.fr/

I think trying to rent a 9 month apt, furnished, is just a lot more difficult than if they'd just settled for student housing in a residence hall or foyer. Someone on Fodors was asking for some ideas about that not too long ago to which I responded with some local agencies and some expat publications with some rentals (like FUSAC, which is also online -- at least the ads seem to be). This is just a difficult thing to do from afar.

kerouac

Adèle (which is a dot-org rather than a dot-com) has links to the government family allocation services, which subsidize the rent of students (or anybody under age 26) -- for those who think to apply.

travelbunny

try Paris Attitude. They have some longterm rentals. I have found them very helpful.

kerouac

9 months will never be considered long term in France. A basic lease is for 3 years. 9 months is short term, not to be confused with 'holiday rental'.

janisj

You have received somem good advice/links. My question is why would they want to live in the 7th? The 5th (or southern bits of the 4th or eastern bits of the 6th) would be much more convenient -- if they are studying at the Sorbonne and not some other location.

kerouac

janisj, I believe that this is the same person with the wild idea that the 6th and 7th are safer than the rest of Paris.

suze

If they are studying at the Sorbonne, I would look only in the 4th, 5th, 6th. I think the 7th is way too far out to travel daily. Plus it is more residential, not an area with more young people like the Latin Quarter (where the Sorbonne is located).

travelbunny

..kerouac..the paris attitude site is primarily one for tourists and they use 4 months as their cut off for longterm. I agree your comments re 9 mo shorterm but this agency does do a longer rental than the usual tourist sights and shorter that PAP.

Intex

Yes, I am the same person, as I stated the apt we had fell through. Actually their classes are located in two different locations, Rue de l'estrapade in the 5th, and Bd Raspail, in the 14th.

The places we had looked at were near the Luxembourg Gardens, I think not too far of a walk from the classes. I just though that walking might be better than having to take the metro.

I am just going on information I receive from other past students, and my experiences 35 yrs ago. Unfortunbately everyone concerned prefer an apartment to a dorm.

I'm giving in alot just having her leave so far away, anything I can do to make my mind more at ease as to her safety, is worth it to me.

I have already sent one son to USC, where their apartments were in South East L.A., probably one of the worst neighborhoods in Los Angeles (next to a supermarket with a "No Guns or Knives" sign in the front. I had enough worrying then with a boy, give me some SLACK!

janisj

Intex: If you are so worried about your girl's safety -- wouldn't it be better for her to live as close to her classes as possible rather than all the way across in the 7th??

IMHO the 5th absolutely makes the most sense.If I was a young student, I'd rather live where there is more evening activity and folks are out and about all hours, plus being a short walk from my classes -- rather than in a quiet neighborhood where not many people are out walking in the evenings . . . .

suze

Who's paying? If it's you why not have her live in a dorm? Sure who wouldn't rather have an apartment in Paris -lol! But this is supposed to be for going to school, primarily, right?

suze

(Just kidding above, sort of.)

You're right. I definitely prefer walking instead of be forced to use the metro every day; plus I think it's somewhat safer.

An apartment in the 7th for going to classes in the 5th & the 14th doesn't make any sense though.

StCirq

Makes no sense to be in the 7th to be taking classes at the Sorbonne. 6th a little better, but not much. She should be in the 5th. Why would it make sense for her to have to take the métro late at night back to the "safe" neighborhood of the 6th or 7th rather than walk home to some place in the 5th? I don't get it.

Your fears are so unfounded. My daughter's in her 3rd year at UC-Berkeley. Ever been on Shattuck Avenue at 11 pm? Paris is SO much safer! Good thing she's not coming here to DC to Georgetown or GWU. Then you'd REALLY need to be worried.

Intex

Thank you for the input!
I guess I was mistaken in looking in the 6th & 7th. I will try looking in the 5th, but with only 3 weeks to go, I have a feeling that this may end as a search while in Paris. I just didn't want to spend 2-3 weeks in Paris, tracking down an apartment for her.

I think some of the parents think that if the apartment is large enough, it would make spontaneous visits to them during the year, that more economical.

kerouac

In any case, the daughter will not be walking to classes rather than taking the metro. The whole city has totally changed since July 15th, and just about everybody under the age of 50 is using the new free bicycle system.

ggreen

Just from my own student experience in Paris, albeit many years ago: As janisj said, it's better to live in a neighborhood where there is activity at night than in a quiet residential area.

I lived in the very quiet, safe, residential 16th when I was a student. It was creepy at night walking from the metro to my apartment. And a few times I had some issues, such as a guy following me. If there is activity on the street, you blend in more, and there are others around if heaven forbid you did need help.

Good luck with your apartment search. I'm sure it will all work out!