I Prefer Paris

Top Ten Paris Bargains

I received this valuable list of Top Ten Paris Bargains from Sonia who works at the marketing department at www.hostelbookers.com, an excellent resource for booking hostels. It always great to know where the bargains are in Paris and this list has some nice surprises I didn't know about.

Top Ten Paris Bargains  
A Budget break in Paris? C’est impossible?! It’s a Paris cliché that Gallic chic doesn’t come cheap, and travelers always complain that the city of lights is costly. But there are loads of ‘bon prix’ to be found along the Parisian streets, you just have to look beyond the Louvre…

1. A Bargain Bistro
L’Avant Gout (26 Rue Bobilot 75013), is a gourmet bistro famous for its signature dish ‘Le pot au feu de cochon aux épices’. The lunch menu is a true bargain- for €14 you get an entree, main course, a glass of wine, and coffee all included in the price.  

2. The Batobus
A trip along the Seine is the perfect way to see Paris, but avoid the overpriced tourist boats blaring irritating commentaries. From Mid-April to November, the Batobus is a great budget alternative, and it stops off at all the main sites, looping from the Eiffel Tower right round to the Champs Elysee.  Take to the water for €12 for one day or €16 for two, and hop and off when you please.

3. Another Tower
Whilst the Eiffel Tower may be Paris’ most iconic way to see the city, the Montparnasse Tower offers a far cheaper romantic view. Ignore the tourist lift and take your loved one to the café on the 56th floor. Grab a gourmet café au lait, enjoy the sights below, and spot that other famous tower from the window!

4. Vintage Finds for €5
Free P Star, and a few other unnamed, tiny shops in the Marais, are a vintage mecca for sourcing cool secondhand clothes. Crammed to the rafters with fur coats, pretty dresses, leather jackets and platform boots, hoards of chic Parisiens elbow each other out the way in search of the perfect bargain outfit. The real draw for bargain hunters are the €3 and €5 ‘bins’, where you can rummage for some truly unique pieces.  

5. Cool Cocktails in the Marais
This cobbled former Jewish quarter is now the hippest hot-spot in the city, and at around 8pm most of the bars have a happy hour, where you can get a pint of beer or a cocktail, and some bar snacks for under €5.

6. The Musee D’Orsay  
This is a well-known museum, but I really think this is one of Paris’s best-value galleries. Housed in a beautiful old train station, it showcases a range of art from 1848 to 1915, but is most famous for its impressive collection by the Impressionists Monet, Degas, Renoir and Cezanne. Smaller and easier to navigate than the Louvre, tickets are only €5.50 on Sundays and for under 25s.

7. Cemeteries and Churches  
The ultimate bargain when visiting Paris, all the cemeteries and churches in the city are free to enter. Cemeteries like Montparnasse and Pere Lachaise are completely free, and are home to many famous graves, from Jim Morrisson to Jean Paul-Sartre. The Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, and a whole host of lesser known churches like Saint Sulpice are some of the cities grandest buildings, are just as beautiful inside, and cost nothing to visit.  

8. Monoprix Macarons
Whenever I visit Paris, I pay a visit to the many amazing patisseries in the city, and occasionally indulge in one of Lauduree’s sumptuous macarons. These candy-colored confections cost a bomb, so you can only limit yourself to one at a time! For a delicious treat at about a third of the price, head to supermarkets Franprix or Monoprix, and stock up on the little boxes of mini macarons. The quality is almost as good, and you’ll have enough to share round!  

9. A Paris hostel
Forget dingy dorms and dirty shared bathrooms, it’s easy to find a stylish hostel in Paris, and many have better facilities than most budget hotels. Prices at Le Montclair Montmartre start at only €26 a night for a private room, and the hostel is enough to convert even the most skeptical of travelers, with a free breakfast, internet facilities and a stylish lounge, all in the heart of bohemian Montmartre.  

10. And finally…the Louvre for less
If you are desperate to visit the Louvre, at least do it on the cheap. The Louvre is free the first Sunday of every month, but all of Paris knows this - so the queues are vast. It’s far less stressful to visit on Wednesday and Friday evenings, between 6 and 9:45pm, where the admission fee is halved, and you won’t have to wade through the crowds to see the Mona Lisa!

www.hostelbookers.com

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook. First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte’s professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 3 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

New Fractional Ownership Apartment- 11 rue Cujas

A few months ago I wrote a post about an interesting concept called fractional ownership apartments in  Paris. In case you don’t remember, fractional ownership is where you own a share in an apartment for a few weeks a year, year after year.

 Last week  Dwell Paris sent me information on a particularly appealing new offer I thought I would share with you. They are offering shares in Residence Jardin Luxembourg- 11 rue Cujas, a newly refurbished 58-meter/630 sq. feet one bedroom/one bath apartment on the fourth floor of an elegant 19^th century Belle Epoque building with an elevator. It’s ideally located in the fifth arrondissement, near the legendary Sorbonne and the magnificent Pantheon and a stones throw away from the Jardin de Luxembourg, the most beautiful park in Paris. Rue Mouffetard one of the great food shop streets of the city and Place Monge, an excellent outdoor market are also close by.

Andrew Serkin and Timothy Gerwin combine 23 years of legal and development expertise to effortlessly guide you through the fractional buying process. 

The luxurious but cozy furnished apartment is set up to move right in and has all the amenities to make you feel right at home including a state of the art kitchen, washer/dryer, stereo with Ipod dock, Illy espresso maker, two flat screen TV’s with DVD’s, phones with unlimited free international calls, computer with printer, internet, and French cell phones at your disposal.

Four week shares are being offered, limiting the wear and tear of the apartment and can be divvied up in different combinations of either four consecutive weeks or two weeks at different times of the year. Prices start at $117,000 for a four-week share.

Now would be an advantageous time to seriously consider your dream move to Paris, especially for Americans, with the dollar being at its best rate in two years- 1.28.Also, even with the recent economic downturn, not only has Paris real estate retained its value, its value is still increasing.

If you prefer Paris like me, you won’t pass up this opportunity.

 France

5  rue de L’Evangile, 75018 Paris

01-72-81-33-57

U.S.A.

250 Montgomery Street Suite 1200

San Francisco,California       94104

415-738-0764 

www.dwellparis.com 

How Much is That Chien in the Window?

Did you know you could bring your dog almost anywhere in Paris including restaurants, the metro, the supermarket, the patisserie, the fishmonger, and galleries? But most important of all, your dog should be well groomed. Madame Agate on the ave. de Republique will happily groom your precious pooch, so he/she looks its very best prancing the Paris streets. She also sells food and lots of cute accessories. Did I mention she does cats too?

Agate
Salon de Toilettage (grooming salon)
25 ave. de Republique, 11 arr.
Metro:Republique
Tel. 01 43 55 86 68
Appointments necessary


Madame Agate

10% off Coupon for Air France Flights from U.S. to France

I am on the email list for the Air France E Newsletter and they are now sending monthly coupons for their destinations. This month they are offering 10% off of all Tempo/Economy flights from the U.S. to France. Here are some sample one-way fares:

New York - Paris $357*
Houston - Lyon $410*
Philadelphia - Paris $432*
Washington D.C. - Nice $445*
Los Angeles - Paris $457*

The coupon code is ENEWS09369
You must depart in September or October and the promotion ends on September 30 so hurry up and book your flight so I can take you on an Eye Prefer Paris Tour when you arrive.

www.airfrance.com

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour
includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

New Bic Cell Phone

Bic, the king of clever disposable household items including pens and razors, has just come out with a new cell phone especially for tourists visiting France. The simple design is user friendly and ready to go with the battery already charged and SIM card in place. It’s only 49 euros and comes with 60 free minutes that are good for 12 months after phone is activated. After that you can buy prepaid minutes. It’s available at train stations, airports, tabacs, supermarkets, and newsstands. I think this is a great idea and certainly the easiest way to have a working cell phone here.

Click here for more info

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour
includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Disco Baby

As many of you know I was quite a disco bunny in my youth, strutting my disco moves at famous/notorious New York clubs like Studio 54, Area, Paradise Garage, and Xenon.

So when I heard a few weeks ago that the Palais de Tokyo was opening a disco exclusively for children between ages 3 & 7, I thought it was a hoot. Carine Charaire & Olivier Casamayou (conception and artistic direction), with Florence Doléac (design), Guillaume Sorge of the collective D*I*R*T*Y (music) and Yi Zhou (video), have put together an authentic reduced scale disco complete with mirrored balls, plush colored sofas, and flashing colored lights.

I could imagine the scenario now: ten and twelve-year olds, in a reverse carding move, use fake ID’s borrowed from their younger brothers & sisters, then pretend to be four & six and beg the noveau Steve Rubell at the door to let them in. They would dress in Osh-Kosh overalls with Pampers and carry Fisher Price toys as accessories. Five-year-olds will be selling Ecstasy in the bathrooms and snorting baby powder will replace cocaine.

BABYDISCO
September 26-January 4
Palais de Tokyo
3, avenue du Président Wilson, 16th arr.
Metro: Iena
Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday,
By online reservation only starting on September 15
Admission: 10 euros(includes free juice box ticket- JUST KIDDING)
http://www.palaisdetokyo.com

Ex-Disco Baby

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour
includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Gyms, Yoga, and Pilates in Paris

Parisians are not as workout crazy as Americans. I remember in New York, there were more gyms than supermarkets. Although certainly not the case here, Parisians are now catching on to the fitness craze in a limited way.

If you want to burn off the calories from downing all those rich pastries, croissants, cheeses and foie gras, here is a list of gyms that offer temporary memberships, and day & weekly memberships.

Club Med
Club Med is the largest chain of fitness clubs in Paris and has over 20 locations. The clubs are ultra clean and modern with the latest state of the art equipment. They offer classes and some of the locations have swimming pools.

One-day membership 25 euros
One-month membership 100 euros
http://www.clubmedgym.fr

Vit Halles
This is the other big gym chain with 15 locations. It’s not as nice as Club Med, but still a decent place to get a good workout. Some of the locations are a little cramped.

One day membership 25 euros
One-week membership 100 euros
http://www.vithalles.fr/

L’usine
This fancy schmancy gym is the equivalent of Equinox in the U.S. and you can workout along side fashion celebs Marc Jacobs, John Galliano, and Rick Owens. Surprisingly, there is no swimming pool but there is a luxurious sauna & steam room. Personal trainers are available.

8 rue de la Michodiere, 2nd arr.
Metro:Opera
Tel. 01.42.66.30.30
One-day membership 45 euros
http://usineopera.com/

Yoga & Pilates
Luckily there are Yoga and Pilates classes in English. So if you want to straighten your spine and salute the sun, here’s a list of studios.

Ashtanga Yoga Paris
5 rue Morand, 11th arr.
Metro: Parmentier, rue St. Maur
Tel. 01.45.80.19.96
Single class 20 euros
One-week unlimited pass 40 euros
http://www.ashtangayogaparis.fr

Yoga Bikram- two locations
17 rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 9th arr., door code A4246
Metro: Grands Boulevards, Cadet
Tel. 01.42.47.18.52

13 rue Simon Le Franc, 4th arr.
Tel. 01.42.47.18.52
Metro: Rambuteau, Hotel de Ville

Single class 25 euros
10 day unlimited (one time only) 30 euros
http://www.bikramyogaparis.com

Rasa Yoga
21 rue St. Jacques, 5th arr.
Metro: Cluny-La Sorbonne
Tel. 01.43.54.14.59

Single class 20 euros
10 class pass (one time only) 160 euros
http://www.rasa-yogarivegauche.com

Element- for Pilates & Gyrotonics
16 bis de la Grande Chaumiere, 6th arr.
Metro: Vavin
Tel 01.53.10.86.00
http://www.elementparis.com/

Le Studio Pilates de Paris
39 rue de Temple, 4th arr.
Metro: Hotel de Ville
Tel. 01.42.72.91.74
Single class 29 euros
http://www.studiopilatesdeparis.com

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour
includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

New York State of Mind

Reminders of New York, my former home, have been ever present.

My client Lisa Gissendanner, who did an Eye Prefer Tour last month, sent me this beautiful photo she took of the Statue of Liberty when she was on a Seine cruise. On July 4th, 1889, the ex-pat community of Paris offered a 35-foot high bronze replica of the Statue of Liberty as a gift to France. It’s located next to the Pont Grenelle about a mile south of the Eiffel Tower.

Ave. de New York is an elegant, quiet street that runs along the Seine in the 16th arr. The Modern Museum of Paris, Palais de Tokio and the Mona Bismarck Foundation, the gorgeous private mansion that once belonged to the American socialite, are some of the points of interest.

The only things missing are bagels, delis, and yellow taxis.

Statue of Liberty
Pont de Grenelle

Ave. de New York, 16th arr.
Metro: Alma Marceau

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour
includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

City Pharma: Discount Drugstore in St. Germain

Unlike the U.S with its price warring drug chains, France doesn’t have discount drugstores or even large drug chains for that matter.

However, City Pharma, in the 6th arr. near St. Germain, consistently offers 30-40% off of most popular brands. Stock up on your favorite French and European labels like Weleda, Biotherm, Roc, Caudalie, Phyto, Vichy, Bioderma, Roger et Gallet, Elancyl, and even American brands like Neutrogena and John Frieda. The tightly packed and well stocked shop has two floors, the first floor having mostly beauty and hair products, and the second floor having a prescription counter, homeopathic and herbal remedies, and Dr. Scholl’s foot care products.

I was there at about 7PM last night and it was teeming with upscale aggressive female shoppers who practically knocked me over with their baskets loaded with cosmetics, as though it was the last day on earth they would be able to buy face and thinning creams. Lines at the registers were 10 deep, so I didn’t bother to purchase anything but I will return.

City-Pharma
26, rue du Four, 6th arr.
01 46 33 20 81
Open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Metro: St. Sulpice,St. Germain, or Mabillon

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour
includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Rue du Jour- Part II

Continuing my walk on rue du Jour, there was the imposing pink stone archway in front of the Agnes B. shop with St. Eustache church hovering over it, and I took some extraordinary photos.

At #25, was an office building with amazing stone carvings, busts, heads, and grates. Notice the Romanesque influence. Again, I couldn’t find any information about the building, not even the year it was built.

Many other high fashion and accessory boutiques line rue du Jour besides the 5 Agnes B. stores including Zadig & Voltaire, Antoine & Lilli, Comptoir de Cotonniers, Pomdapi, and La Drougerie.

Rue du Jour, 1st arr.
Metro: Les Halles

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour
includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com