elaine

Thanks to Croque M above, I'm adding "A Place in the World Called Paris" to my reading list.

For me,as for my other favorite things and people, it's more than the sum of the parts. Yes, there's the food, architecture, history, chic-ness, art. Even the grey weather doesn't bother me, it seems to fit. Also, no modern skyscrapers, well, hardly any.

And then there's that 'chemistry' thing, that indescribable something that makes us fall in love with one and not another.
For that reason, there's no point in trying to explain or convince someone who doesn't feel that way. It's the old "I don't know what you see in him/her." To which I reply, "I'm sorry, it's your loss."

SuzieC

I admit to agreeing with what other's who love Paris have said. I love its multiculturalism. Then, again, I really like the French. I respect them. I have that deja vu feeling of "whew...I'm home". People complain that the French are "cool" or even use the phrase "rude". I don't agree. I think Paris, a small space, and an ancient space, with millions of people, behave in a very civilized and polite manner. They expect their "space" to be respected and they respect other's. Good manners grease the wheels of a peaceful society. They have treasured and confidently valued themselves, growing, living, changing, adapting, making the "day to day" with a sense of accomplishment and style. They respect the individual and as a collective, seem to try to make life easier, comfortable and graceful for all.

pj

Croque Madame, Elaine
You have both expressed my sentiments exactly. It really is a chemistry, because I have definitely fallen in love with Paris because of ALL of the above. PJ

hanl

It's strange, because although I like Paris, it's never going to be up there among my favourite cities. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I guess it's just the overall atmosphere of the place, the attitudes of the inhabitants (so few of whom prove to be true, born and bred Parisians). Of course, my relationship with Paris has rarely been as a tourist, but as a resident, and that changes a few things!

After living there for a few years, I realised that I was becoming impatient, aloof, even rude in my everyday dealings with others. Small things, like not acknowledging someone who holds a door open for you or gives you their seat in the metro. Stepping on someone's toes without apologising. A shopkeeper who pretends not to recognise you despite your having been a regular customer for months. Huffing and sighing and pouting when greeted with a busy metro car or long boulangerie queue. I realised it was time to move on, and what a welcome change it was to come to Lyon, where the people are so much more laid-back, and where the city somehow belongs to the residents, not the tourists.

Paris! The stress, the 3am traffic jams, the tiny, expensive apartments, the crowded pavements! Living and working in Paris, I began to feel utterly claustrophobic. You're never alone, and there's no such thing as open space.

Having said all that, now I no longer live in Paris, I am slowly beginning to appreciate the place. I was there last weekend and when we got off the train at the Gare de Lyon, we decided to stroll through the Marais. And as we wandered through the Place des Vosges in the warm evening sunlight, a group of jazz guitarists playing under the arcades, we peered into galleries and boutiques and wondered why we'd never noticed them before.

And, just for a second, I *almost* thought I understood why Paris holds such a special place in so many people's hearts.

I'm willing to give it a second chance

StCirq

Because it pleases every one of the senses to the nth degree.

frenchy227

I LVOE Paris...and there r many many reasons...the 1st and most obvious is that im studying French and Paris is the basis of French and French culture (even though there is more to it than just Paris! trust me i know) other than that, i think everyone has said it above...Paris is well just Paris!

my first trip was in september 2003 when i was moving over to Rennes for the year, we had a week long tour of Paris, and i instantly fell in love with it. when i realized that this was the city for me was the 1st time i saw the Eiffle Tower from le jardin de tuilieries! it was probably the best sight EVER in my eyes. after studying all about Paris and France for 9 yrs i was finally there. i came back in February with my parents when they came over and seeing it the second time was even better. for some reason i cant get enough of it, and ive seen all the same things!

to me, Paris is why i came over here and its why ive stayed and its France for me.

there really is no specific reason towards my love of it, its just Paris! everything is great about it! just one of those cities that has an air about it!

elle

Although I fell in love with Paris as a teenager, I had a bad experience while I was there (I was somewhere where a 15-year-old girl shouldn't have been late at night and paid the price)and didn't really return until I was in my 30s.

My husband and I both feel a strong spiritual connection to France in general and Paris in particular. We both have French ancestors and so there's an almost genetic pull, although in my case, my ancestors were Protestants and any experiences they had in Paris could not have been especially pleasant.

I think Paris appeals especially to the creative, the sensuous, and the romantic (i.e., those who can feel the emotional draw of the idealized while rationalizing the grit of reality). Pragmatists may be less enchanted by the city.

For me, a lot of Paris's charm comes from its layout (the right combination of broad boulevards and narrow lanes, open to the sky and punctuated by just a few tall structures) and architecture (lots of light-reflecting limestone, the gorgeous grey slate of the mansards, which often takes on the color of the sky). I love the buildings with their casement windows, wooden shutters, and iron balconies. I love the way nature is brought into the built environment--the flowering trees, the wisteria, the tulips, lilacs, boxwood, and geraniums.

I love the pace, the parks, the public squares, the monuments, the museums, the markets, the cafes, the culture, the shops, and the dogs. Paris offers all that I value in life--in abundance.

Leona

That was stated beautifully, Elle.

For me, it's a combination of the food, architecture, shops, people & dogs! (Just watch where you step.)

CafeBatavia

I love Paris and visit at least once a year. The art, architecture, culture, cuisine, sidewalk cafes, fountains, museums and fashion all combine to make it a very wonderful experience for people of all ages.

Paris would be heaven on earth if the locals were not so arrogant and rude and could just smile a little more. They have so much to smile and be happy about living in such a great city, but many of them look like they just bit into a sour pickle!

However, that situation may never change and I don't let it reduce my many fond thoughts of Paris.