#Paris is one of the world’s most visited cities, Paris is clearly popular with tourists, but the French capital is a great place to live too!
Paris is home to many great galleries and museums. And a lot of the houses some of the most historic works of art by the greatest artists who ever lived. The likes of which include Musée d’Orsay, which is full of the works of Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Musée Rodin, home of the eponymous artist's most famous work, "The Thinker."
Centre Pompidou, The Centre Pompidou, also known as the Pompidou Centre in English, is a complex building in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles and the Marais. It was designed in the style of high-tech architecture by the architectural team of Richard Rogers, Su Rogers, Renzo Piano, along with Gianfranco Franchini.
Louvre Museum, home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the Louvre is considered the world's greatest art museum, with an unparalleled collection of items covering the full spectrum of art through the ages.
For those who want to pursue a fashion career in what is arguably the fashion capital of the world, a good start is to work in an haute couture ateliers.
The most famous of which is on 30 Avenue Montaigne, where the house of Christian Dior resides. However, some lesser-known but equally grand couture Maisons can also be found in this amazing city. If you work or want to work in any of them, then, by all means, live here!
To follow the trend, you have to be in Paris! Concerning clothes, Paris Fashion Week takes place every 6 months in Paris. Members of the haute couture community present their new collections and it is also an opportunity to see some original outfits around these fashion shows.
Paris has for centuries been known as the centre of cuisine and food in general. The French are definitely very proud of the culinary traditions. The French meal, before even speaking of any recipes or food and wine, is protected by UNESCO. French meals take hours. You first have to have your entrée, then the main course, the cheese course, the dessert, and then to top it all off, coffee and hours of conversation…Paris itself has given so many wonderful dishes like the simple but classic steak frites. Literally “steak and chips”.
We must also talk about bread, good bread, light, fluffy, inviting interior of a freshly baked French baguette. Everything about the baguettes here is perfectly crafted. The touch, the smell, the taste, the sound…
The most important product from France however, the one that determines whether or not you are worthy of living in this great country, is cheese. At least 1,200 different varieties according to the Centre National Interprofessionnel de l’Économie Laitière. Any French person that has ever lived outside of France will always say that the one thing they missed the most from back home was good cheese! In other countries, we aren’t used to variety and excellence of good cheese. Even the local supermarket sells cheese of such brilliant quality that there is very rarely a need to spend more than €4 for an excellent slice of brie or camembert. And the things the French do with cheese, well it’s simply amazing! On bread, potatoes, meat, vegetables, in sauces, with wine etc…
Enjoy a cruise on the Seine, especially at night. When the sun sets, the monuments are lit slowly. You get a panoramic view to the forefront so you can enjoy the beauty of Paris: Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Pont Alexandre III and many more….
Neighbourhood parks, Paris has some lovely parks sprinkled all around the city such as Jardin de Luxembourg, Parc Monceau, Jardin des Tuileries, etc. There are also two large forests on the East and West ends of the city, the Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne...
After being speaking about pro of living in Paris I have to sadly point out a few cons. I can tell you that there are certain things about Paris that just suck. The cost of living in Paris is quite high, and I know many ex-pats who hate it here. But then again, I think this is probably the case for anyone who feels like a fish out of water...
The weather, rainy England has its well-deserved reputation, but actually, Paris is almost as rainy as London. Winters in Paris are quite grey, with only a rare bit of sunshine peaking through. In Paris, it rains an average of 51-54mm per month, which is actually more than London at 48mm/month. And worse, when it is not raining, it is still rather grey and gloomy!
Parisians can be rude, Parisians have a reputation for being rude and off-putting. They don’t hesitate to tell each other off, even perfect strangers. Living on top of each other in small apartments makes everybody cranky.
Now I may be a bit biased here because I’m living in London, where everybody is exceptionally polite. In London, we even say sorry if someone else bumps into us, so there could be something there. But it is not just me, even France 24, a government-owned local television station confirmed the sentiment that Parisians are a bit rude…
Anyway, property is much cheaper here than in such expensive European capital such as London, although now so many Brits are coming over and buying pied-à-terre in central Paris, prices have shot up. Eating, either out or in, is much cheaper and food is much better quality. The quality of life and the enjoyment of everyday pleasures like sitting on a terrace, outside a café, with a glass of wine. Paris is more designed for mid-age professional. It's smaller, more compact and easy to get around by Metro…Another of the favourite activities of Parisians are rooftop evenings! Parisians like to get out of work and do an after-work with their colleagues or friends in a nice rooftop. It’s a chance to have a drink, discuss your day and watch the sun go down. It’s a must on the first summer evenings!
As one of the most prominent authors said: “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
Ernest Hemingway
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