Guenmai

"What can/should I do to change this? Or should I just accept that that's the way I've been wired?"

I think you should accept it and move on. Paris is a nice city, but it's not the center of the universe. I've been going there since the mid-70s and enjoy it when I'm there. Plus, it's an easy one-week vacation destination and I can get there on a non-stop flight, from L.A. I also have some friends that I like to see there. But, there are other places that I like a lot better, but will still continue to go to Paris.

Happy Travels!

Jay_G

Ah DebitNM, I fear you may have to. Another love lost...

Thanks all for responses everyone. It's clear that it's something I'll just have to live with. I've been going to Paris for over 20 years and I suppose that if I don't love it now, I never will.

It has everything one could possibly want in a city and (to state the bleeding obvious) has things you just can't see anywhere else. I'll take my family there, as some day I'll take them to San Francisco, because their importance as world cities far outweighs whether I like them or not.

I'll keep going to the places I love (Tokyo again soon) and will continue to make the most of my trips to Paris, but will stop asking why I don't love it and just get on with enjoying myself as much as possible.

colduphere

This is the way my wife feels about me. Her parents pushed her into the marriage. She's never loved me. She'd rather be somewhere else.

If she left the house one day and never came back she would be more than happy. I just accept it.

Gretchen

You seem to go all you want. So you don't love it. I don't like Rome.

DebitNM

Alas Jay, we will always have New York City! The ring is in the mail.

danon

someone mentioned weather....
.
A few years ago I hit one of those hot July weeks in Paris.
The temp. was around 90 every day, the apt. was airless - no AC.
I phoned the airlines to see if I could return home early.
Never had done that before ( or since). Luckily, it was not my first visit to the city .

In a big cities the location of the hotel or the apt. can also be a factor.
On the first visit to Madrid we stayed near Plaza Mayor/Sol...
Ho-hum ..
The second time we stayed in the elegant, leafy
Serrano/Salamnca ... enjoyed our stay so much more
that we returned to the city three more times.

Jay_G

So Debit, we're in New York and need another ring? I think I know the perfect place for breakfast...

Dave_Ohio

Jay_G, I feel the same way about Akron. I don't hate it, but I don't love it, and I will go back again, and again, and again.
Perhaps only because it is there.
Si triste, non?

Jay_G

Dave - I must say that I never would have thought I'd see Akron equated to Paris in this thread, but having said that, I know nothing about it other than (as your name indicates) it's in Ohio.

I feel some research coming on...

Dave_Ohio

nancy1652

I wish I DIDN'T love Paris! I live in the gorgeous Bay Area with a wonderful life and I still yearn, much of the time, to be in Paris. So consider yourself lucky.

kismetchimera

This thread is going nowwhere..cities are like people..We love some and dislike others..

marlib1951

Dave, I would think that Cincinatti (I didn't spell that right, did I?) would be more atmospheric, sophisticated,etc. I too am kidding.

Kurosawa

What an interesting thread. I have not read all the responses, but I guess you either fall in love or not. I don't think there is a rational explanation for it.

Jinky

This is an odd thread.. seriously. I have never met anyone so obsessed with feeling like they have to or should, love a city. It's odd. I don't like Rome, but I'm not going to waste time obsessing over why I don't, and going over it time and time (and time) again, trying to explain all my fond memories there, and saying I STILL don't love it.

The sad part about this thread is now I'm a bit turned off of Paris and I'm going for a week next year.

Boo.

Nikki

You could go to Akron instead, Jinky.

Jinky

<<You could go to Akron instead, Jinky.>>

I never said I didn't want to go, just said the thread turned me off a bit.

Chutesoarinval

Hello, I too travel twice a year to Paris and in fact just returned last week (nove 1) .I feel I. The last 14 yrs of going there it's become more crowded and less enchanting. I spe t time in the small towns of the Loire
Valley this trip and fell on love with France all over again.
Possibly when you are in France spend more time in parc monceau and watch the families be happy!

lukehead

I don't love Paris. It's pretty. It's grand. But it's not warm or cozy, I've never felt wrapped in its "charm". I feel much the same way about Madrid or Rome. They are each a good place to visit but I have no desire to live there. I would live in Amsterdam, Bruges, Budapest, Turin...if I could live on y terms, which are not necessarily terms of reality.

daph

After years of visiting Paris and London I've decided I really love London more. We found a hotel that we always enjoy in an area we prefer. And there seem to be more good, affordable restauants. Our last hotel in Paris was in a convenient area but it had 101 small things wrong with it and had one of those annoying airline type rates, 249 euros for the first two days, then lower after that, but with a changing rate every few days. The brasseries in the 7e were bad. I tried just the onion soup for dinner at four different places and each was bad. In London, there is Wagamama, El Tasca, even the Woseley, where you can get a bite to eat-not a full lunch or dinner. Also, the British give a senior discount. In France, you only get one if you are a French senior. Very annoying.