English
We have an excellent writing team here at Lodgis, who work hard gathering information to help anyone visiting Paris make the most of their stay. But sometimes they take a break and let our guests do the talking.
Hi, my name is Julien I love finding dream apartments.
Last October, Cathy was searching for the ideal Parisian flat – she was considering several different places, but didn’t know which one to choose. However, by asking her the right questions about her interests and habits, and by answering all her questions, we were able to pick an apartment that was just right for her and her husband.
She had this to share with us:
>After hundreds of hotel stays and a lifetime of visits, there we were, in the 6th arrondissment in our very own apartment. Parisians at last. Thanks to Julien, we had a beautiful one bedroom apartment just a few blocks from the Église Saint Sulpice, and only a five minute walk from the Luxembourg Gardens.
Living in this apartment changed the way we approached Paris. We made the standard pilgrimages to the Eiffel Tower, the quays along the Seine, the Musée D’Orsay, the Louvre, the Musée Rodin and also the Sacré Coeur and the Place du Tertre. But what made this visit different was the sense that we belonged to a neighborhood. We belonged to the 6th arrondissement and made it our own. If you rent an apartment, you can do the same!
A daily trip to our local boulangerie, check. Munching on the baguette as we walked home, check. Walking down the Rue Bonaparte every day, check. Having the apartment also gave us the chance to be more a part of Parisian pastimes and traditions. Every Sunday spent in the Luxembourg Gardens, for seven weeks, check! We learned the bus routes, found our favorite shops and restaurants, and even became befriended the shopkeepers.
A wonderful feature of renting an apartment is, of course, the kitchen, even if you don’t cook. Around every corner is a gourmet chocolate, coffee, cheese, wine, bread, pastry, and butcher shop. There is no end to the delights that will fill your refrigerator. And when you find something you love, you can get it as often as you like.
If you have the flexibility, try to choose the season that suits you best. In the fall, you can enjoy the art fairs, Halloween, tennis at Bercy, and the oysters. Oh the oysters! Or, in the winter, you can wander the Christmas markets, wrapped in your coat and scarf, and see every street covered in twinkle lights.
Whenever you go, find the neighborhood that resonates with who you are and with what you love to do. Then do it. Over and over again.
The transition from hotel tourist to resident Parisian may be slow and steady, but having the time to explore the nuances of such a great city will be made possible by time and by a sense of belonging. That is what the apartment gave us. It gave us the 6th and a place to come home to.
By Cathy Desio
