Living in Paris

[Shevek]

I have always had a romantic vision of living in the French capital. Has anyone else ever done it and do they have any advice. What sort of jobs are available for foreigners (I dont speak French yet). What are house prices/rental prices like, the best districts, the cost of living. My dream is to be like Jarvis Cocker and saunter around Paris drinking coffee and reading books, riding on the metro system.

[Madusa]

I want to try a stint in Paris after Barcelona. Maybe...:hmm:

[Lea]

I worked in Paris (by St Lazare area - 9th district) for 4 years between 2002 and 2006 but lived in the suburbs. If I had lived in Paris itself I would have liked to love live in Le Marais area (4th district) or the Latin Quarter (5th district) or St Germain area (6th district). I find that these areas are full of character but it could be expensive as it is very central. You can do a search for flats in De Particulier a Particulier http://www.pap.fr/

For rent in Paris you would be paying roughly the same amount in Euros as you would be paying for rent in pounds in London now that the exchange rate in Euro is higher. So for a studio of about 20 m sq you'd be paying roughly 800 to 1000€ per month in the 5th district. You can put in the postcode for your search eg 75005 is Paris 5th district and 75004 would be the 4th district. I think that there are 20 districts.

I found that the cost of living in Paris lower slightly lower than for London. Public transport is a fraction of what we pay for in London. I lived in zone 5 in the suburbs and my monthly season ticket cost less than 100€. A single metro ticket for zone one costs I think less than a euro if you buy them in books of ten (carnet). As for your romanticism of riding on the Paris metro, it's not very romantic at all. It's similar to the London underground except that it's more modern and you get dodgy characters in the metro sometimes.

For other stuff such as groceries I found the prices similar to that of London.

I'm not sure what sort of jobs are available for foreigners but I worked as a secretary in a big engineering company. They needed someone to check over the English documents written by the engineers. It wasn't very glamourous work. For the first 2 years, other than checking English documents I ended up doing a lot of filing but that was OK my French really improved vastly as I worked in a French environment with all French colleagues. Most jobs would require you to speak French to some degree. I suppose the obvious job to do if you dont speak any French would be to teach English as a foreign language.

Try doing a search on their national employment agency site and type English in as a key word. http://www.pole-emploi.fr/accueilpe/

Otherwise the OECD is based in Paris and they require English speakers. You could try appyling for a position there. http://www.oecd.org/home/0,2987,en_2649_201185_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

[AnnO'Neemus]

:rolleyes:

[upsidedownwalrus]

I lived there for a year, not working though, it was studying, part of my Degree. I didn't spend enough time looking at places, and lived in this fucking weird place that my mate said was like Delicatessen. It was a bedsit/studio on the sixth floor, with no self-contained toilet; the toilet was out in the corridor and was shared with this woman who must have been about 95, who was next to me, and her son, who was about 60, who lived opposite her. They were complete loonies. I'd have a friend over, nothing loud, just sitting and chatting, and the woman would start banging on the wall. Once 3 friends came over from Blighty to visit. We all sat around having a few beers and stuff. The guy came and started banging on my door really loudly and shouting "J'appelle la police!" :D Fucking lunatics. I felt sorry for them really though.

The transport is the best thing about Paris. I only paid 26 quid per month for my carte orange covering the entire city, that was 10 years ago of course, just checked and they are now 16 euros a week, still cheap compared with blighty. Make sure you get a carte orange.

I lived in the 18th, which was a bit rough really - avoid.

[upsidedownwalrus]

OP, are you a cinema fan? Cinema was one of the things I really loved when I lived there, it was 37 francs (about 3.70) at that time for an cinema ticket and the range of films was amazing.

Bars on the other hand - don't get me started on those!

[Madusa]

I lived there for a year, not working though, it was studying, part of my Degree. I didn't spend enough time looking at places, and lived in this fucking weird place that my mate said was like Delicatessen. It was a bedsit/studio on the sixth floor, with no self-contained toilet; the toilet was out in the corridor and was shared with this woman who must have been about 95, who was next to me, and her son, who was about 60, who lived opposite her. They were complete loonies. I'd have a friend over, nothing loud, just sitting and chatting, and the woman would start banging on the wall. Once 3 friends came over from Blighty to visit. We all sat around having a few beers and stuff. The guy came and started banging on my door really loudly and shouting "J'appelle la police!" :D Fucking lunatics. I felt sorry for them really though.



That sounds like Le Locataire! :eek: A Roman Polanski. I'd watch it if you havent.

[upsidedownwalrus]

That sounds like Le Locataire! :eek: A Roman Polanski. I'd watch it if you havent.

Cheers; I always dig Polanski's stuff so I'll give it a go :)

Paris is full of nutters though, even by London standards. Feels quite edgy in the rougher areas, again compared with say Hackney.

[upsidedownwalrus]

I want to try a stint in Paris after Barcelona. Maybe...:hmm:

But isn't Paris just a poor man's barcelona?

[Paulie Tandoori]

Paris is full of nutters though, even by London standards. Feels quite edgy in the rougher areas, again compared with say Hackney....or you could say that it still retains a commutarian feel about it, whereby class distinctions and impoverished circumstances aren't always water-hosed from the streets? edgy, wtf does that mean? i've got friends living in 20thC and its multicultural sure, but i'm not convinced on the rest of your declaration tbh.

[Madusa]

But isn't Paris just a poor man's barcelona?

lol:D Never thought of it like that... dunno if I could take Paris though...the French are so rude! :D:D

[upsidedownwalrus]

...or you could say that it still retains a commutarian feel about it, whereby class distinctions and impoverished circumstances aren't always water-hosed from the streets? edgy, wtf does that mean? i've got friends living in 20thC and its multicultural sure, but i'm not convinced on the rest of your declaration tbh.

The racial tension could be cut with a knife. It was nowhere near as relaxed and laid back in its multiculturality as London is.

[Riklet]

Aye, after watching La Haine i'd believe that.... well, I lived in the South of France too for a year, n the tensions are there too, although not quite in such a ghetto-ised way.

Is there any reason for Paris in particular? The French love hating on two groups of people; non-French people (including les bara and other assorted "not from around 'eres") and Parisians. For a wild generalisation you may find this strangely accurate haha. Personally I think other cities in France hold more appeal than Paris, and might be easier to settle down in, but shit Paris certainly has some allure. I'd kinda love to try living there some time, for a while, although I might get fed up. Ha, this has reminded me of when I was in some naff perfume shop in Paris n was speaking French (i'm not fluent, but I have a good accent cos I went to school there) and the lady just looked at me n said; "ahm zorree, we dunt speek frechhh wi touwist" or words to that effect... :D

Anyhooo, Paris is certainly not really like London, and having work lined up there, oodles of patience n a good understanding of spoken French especially would come in handy. I'd keep places like Nice, Lyon, Toulouse, Avignon, Aix n Bordeaux in mind, too.... :)

[Madusa]

Aye, after watching La Haine i'd believe that.... well, I lived in the South of France too for a year, n the tensions are there too, although not quite in such a ghetto-ised way.

Is there any reason for Paris in particular? The French love hating on two groups of people; non-French people (including les bara and other assorted "not from around 'eres") and Parisians. For a wild generalisation you may find this strangely accurate haha. Personally I think other cities in France hold more appeal than Paris, and might be easier to settle down in, but shit Paris certainly has some allure. I'd kinda love to try living there some time, for a while, although I might get fed up. Ha, this has reminded me of when I was in some naff perfume shop in Paris n was speaking French (i'm not fluent, but I have a good accent cos I went to school there) and the lady just looked at me n said; "ahm zorree, we dunt speek frechhh wi touwist" or words to that effect... :D

Anyhooo, Paris is certainly not really like London, and having work lined up there, oodles of patience n a good understanding of spoken French especially would come in handy. I'd keep places like Nice, Lyon, Toulouse, Avignon, Aix n Bordeaux in mind, too.... :)

hahaha, classic!:D

[Greebo]

IMHO the good bits of living in Paris barely make up for excessively tidy & formal parks where you're not allowed on the grass and crap TV. If you've got no French at all, you really need to either learn it fast or find somebody who doesn't mind phoning etc for you. Even if you're fluent enough to get by, Parisians speak a lot faster than southerners.

A carte orange (season ticket) is v good value, but you need a residence address to get it - and enough French to fill in the form. While I think of it, get a load of passport type photos done before you go - you need a pair of them for virtually every pass, and membership card. The metro & RER system is fairly easy to work out after you remember that the lines and trains are labelled with where they finish. Get an EHIC card before you go or even minor ailments can be expensive. Sauntering around Paris is less relaxing when you have to carry your passport (or other valid ID) on you at all times - the police can fine you for failing to do so.

Apart from that, you'd probably be just about okay after the first few weeks, as long as you don't expect too much. IME if you're black or look north african or portuguese, you are unlikely to be treated well in shops etc. Accommodation is about the same as London, but a bit skankier for the price. I suggest you check the "Rough Guide to Paris" - useful for anyone who wants to be there on a budget without having to speak a lot of French. Learn to get up early for bread - the best stuff sells out by 10am.

Where to stay... there are some youth hostels which aren't too bad and fairly near the centre, and if you just want to be there for a night or so there's an English bookshop which has a room upstairs.

[Shevek]

Im not planning to go anytime soon, its just a dream that I have. Im currently living in the north of England, not that well off but would like to live there someday. I went there once on a coach trip in about 1997 and fell in love with it, not been back since though

[Riklet]

Well I kinda feel I will almost certainly going to end up living in France (or Canada) at some point, I can just know it; seriously fucking love speaking French, it feels like this skill I have tucked away. I get rusty and out of practise, but it just flows off my tongue (after a bit of practise) n I can literally speak it for days on end, and did so when I was knockin' around with some French hippies in Asia, tis just incredibly stress relieving or something. I start almost thinking in french n it feels like all this tension just drops away as my mind gets buzzing and remembering and... ahhhh. People who don't know me so well always think it's a bit funny/strange/amazing cos every now and then i'll end up talking to French people for ages at the pub or with random 'uns who ask me directions and stuff.

I've had some >.> <.< looks from asking if someone's French, I think they're afraid i'll get my longbow out and fuck their shit up.... :cool: Ahhh yes anyway, as interesting as Paris is I reckon living somewhere like Lyon or Nice would hold more of an appeal, there's some wicked nightlife and cultural shizzle all over; whilst Paris certainly dominates France in some respects, it's only the tip o' the iceburg really. :)

[upsidedownwalrus]

Im not planning to go anytime soon, its just a dream that I have. Im currently living in the north of England, not that well off but would like to live there someday. I went there once on a coach trip in about 1997 and fell in love with it, not been back since though

Seriously, mate, there are much better places to 'dream about' living.

Paris is a beautiful place, and a fantastic place for a romantic weekend or whatever, but when you live there you'll find it to be a rather seedy, dirty and not particularly friendly place.

[HackneyE9]

Seriously, mate, there are much better places to 'dream about' living.

Paris is a beautiful place, and a fantastic place for a romantic weekend or whatever, but when you live there you'll find it to be a rather seedy, dirty and not particularly friendly place.

What Walrus said. I lived there for a year, and ended up hating, absolutely hating it and the Parisiens. And I'm no Little Englander. I've got good French, and lived in London for 20 years and now living - very happily - in Berlin.

However, since you're just "dreaming" of living there, and only went once on a coach trip donkeys years ago, I won't bother with a long, detailed post.

[upsidedownwalrus]

I think, as other people have pointed out, the non Paris French dislike Paris as much as other people too.

[IC3D]

I've got good French, and lived in London for 20 years and now living - very happily - in Berlin.



I love Berlin and reckon its a much more exciting place to live, Paris is beautiful and districts like Belleville in the 19th are interesting places to visit but Berlin is way friendlier and easy to get on in I would imagine.

[HackneyE9]

I love Berlin and reckon its a much more exciting place to live, Paris is beautiful and districts like Belleville in the 19th are interesting places to visit but Berlin is way friendlier and easy to get on in I would imagine.

Indeed.

And if you'r a dippy, Bridget-Jones type bird who want to get "swept off her feet", a la this blog www.petiteanglaise, I'm sure you'll have a great time.

But the bars are utterly uniform (brass, red leather, surly waiters), beer is 8 euros a pint (I shit thee not), there is no green space, or even horizons, it is massively cramped and claustrophobic and full of tourists.

Food and wine, however, are out of this world. And the metro, and velib, are very civilised.

But it's selling a dream - a dream of 1920s bohemia to fat Americans. There was nothing - cinema, painting, music etc etc - contemporary going on that I could make out in 12 months of searching for it. Whereas in 12 months in Berlin, I've discovered new bars, squats, galleries, cinemas, spaces etc etc etc on a weekly, if not daily basis. And the people are laid-back, funny, friendly and scarcastic (in a good way). The Parisians are racist, highly-strung snobs.

[little_legs]

I have always had a romantic vision of living in the French capital. Has anyone else ever done it and do they have any advice. What sort of jobs are available for foreigners (I dont speak French yet). What are house prices/rental prices like, the best districts, the cost of living. My dream is to be like Jarvis Cocker and saunter around Paris drinking coffee and reading books, riding on the metro system.

You did not watch Revolutionary Road last night by any chance? :hmm:

[Lo Siento.]

if I was going to live in France, I'd go almost anywhere except Paris. Lyon would probably be my first choice

[A. Spies]

I'm visiting paris in feb. Can anyone suggest any museums with sections on its radical history or good places to visit connected with that?
ta
:)

[HackneyE9]

There's a beatiful, big church in 20th, hidden off a sidestreet on a steep hill, with a lovely square in front of it and views, which was taken over the by Commune in 1871 as a social centre, and - after a debate on what to do with the Archbishop of Paris, whom they'd taken hostage - they executed him in there.

If that floats your boat, I'll look up where it is for you. It's way off the beaten tourist trails, but was one of my favourite little corners of Paris.

[Yelkcub]

I have always had a romantic vision of living in the French capital. Has anyone else ever done it and do they have any advice. What sort of jobs are available for foreigners (I dont speak French yet). What are house prices/rental prices like, the best districts, the cost of living. My dream is to be like Jarvis Cocker and saunter around Paris drinking coffee and reading books, riding on the metro system.

Then I suggest you just let the funky music do the talking...

[HackneyE9]

There's a beatiful, big church in 20th, hidden off a sidestreet on a steep hill, with a lovely square in front of it and views, which was taken over the by Commune in 1871 as a social centre, and - after a debate on what to do with the Archbishop of Paris, whom they'd taken hostage - they executed him in there.

If that floats your boat, I'll look up where it is for you. It's way off the beaten tourist trails, but was one of my favourite little corners of Paris.

It's near to Pere Lachaise cememtery, so easy to combine in one visit, and the cemetery is a must.

[Johnny Canuck3]

I have always had a romantic vision of living in the French capital. Has anyone else ever done it and do they have any advice. What sort of jobs are available for foreigners (I dont speak French yet). What are house prices/rental prices like, the best districts, the cost of living. My dream is to be like Jarvis Cocker and saunter around Paris drinking coffee and reading books, riding on the metro system.

I'll tell you one thing. I was afflicted with a bout of diarrhea the first time I visited the Louvre. It was a living hell, trying first of all to ascertain the location of the lavabos, then rushing past the Davides trying not to shit myself, then having to wipe off with that terrible brown tp that they used to have in public buildings.

It's something to keep in mind.

[A. Spies]

Cheers do you know the chuch name? I'll have a look on the internet and see if I can find a bit about it.
I was wondering about a museum of the revolution or an exhibit but it seems like only the Carnavalet Museum has one and it's not very good?

[Lo Siento.]

It's near to Pere Lachaise cememtery, so easy to combine in one visit, and the cemetery is a must.

the wall of the communards is there too - where they shot everybody afterwards...

[HackneyE9]

It's this place - Notre Dame de la Croix, off Rue de Menilmonmant

There's a plaque outside explaining all the history, albeit in French.

I'd forgotten - there square in front is called Place du Maurice Chevalier!

Lovely spot.

My local bar, the Petanque, is there - not worth travelling out of your way for, but friendly barman (rare!), locals, and only holds about 10 people. Very retro place.

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There's a little