Moving to Paris is one of those things on my "list." (See
here,
here, and
here.) Paul and I recently realized we are in a window in our life right now where it is possible since we both can work remotely and our kids are little. (This is where I pass out from excitement.) It isn't a done deal but we are just starting to do research (and take French lessons!) So here are my questions for people who have lived in Paris for extended periods of time.
1. Do you know anyone that wants to rent out a two or three bedroom apartment in Paris in 2011?
2. What sites (besides Craigslist or vrbo) should I look for long term housing?
The dreamy polaroids below were taken by
Nicole Hill Gerulat of
A Little Sussy see more of these on
her site under "personal work."
What a dream come true! I hope to someday live in Paris. At least I'd be putting my 8 years of French to good use! xx
ReplyDeleteJust when I finally move to San Francisco you're going to move to Paris!? :)
ReplyDeleteyou should hook up with Nichole from http://littlebrownpen.blogspot.com/ xoxox
ReplyDeleteWow! No recommendations, just wishing good luck in your search--I'm so jealous! You're the second blog I follow that's doing this sort of thing (Claire at Loobylu just decided to live the dream and move too). So great!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had advice for you, but I don't. I have stumbled across a blog called something like The French Skinny Experiment - written by two Americans, one of whom is living in Paris. If you can find it, they respond to comments in the comments section and I'm sure she'd be a great help for you! Fingers crossed for you! ps - longtime reader of your sister's blog and recently found and love yours too!
ReplyDeleteThat is SO exciting!!
ReplyDeleteSome bloggers you might find helpful (which you may or may not already know): Nichole at Little Brown Pen, Anne at Pret a Voyager, and the girls at Haven in Paris (blog + apartment rentals).
Well done on the 'living the dream'....we are going through a bit of the ' we should do this now' as well about Paris. We live in London at the moment, so it's a bit less of an upheaval though ( I'm originally from America, but live in London with my English husband). Anywho...I can't say our search has properly kicked off, and this information might not be useful but I thought I'd chime in when I saw Craigsilst being on your list of go to. Craigslist does exist in the UK, but really isn't used that much (making it a bit useless) and I thought it might be the same for the rest of Europe. Gumtree is the equivalent here..might want to give it a go for Paris. You could try http://www.kijiji.fr/, sadly my French is non existent so...not sure if it's right.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, can't wait to hear more about it!
I can't think of a particular post, but I'm sure David Lebovitz must have written a post on moving to Paris. Also, a great memoir to read to prepare you for your trip is From Paris to the Moon.
ReplyDeleteBonne chance!
WOW! Amazing...congratulations! I hope it all works out! :)
ReplyDeletebut that still doesn't qualify how one would work in a french speaking country??
ReplyDeletefor paris apartments: http://www.lodgis.com/en/paris/?sid=9598abb150485c17d36bad39c0eaf320
ReplyDeleteThey charge a "finders fee" but still a decently good deal...
Awesome!!
ReplyDelete@Angie: "Work remotely" means we can continue to do our current jobs from far away.
ReplyDeleteyay! You are doing it.
ReplyDeleteFunny, but your reasons for moving are the very same we did (Kids were young and not yet in school, and we both were freelancing/working from home).
Definitely check out Haven in Paris (www.haveninparis.com) for apartments. I would also email Erica directly as she can offer suggestions for longer term stays.
Definitely feel free to reach out again. I have also learned a thing or two about what to do (and NOT do!) with kids in Paris.
Such exciting news!
When I needed a place to live for a few months in Paris, I found it though fusac, which is (was? this was in 2003) a great french-english resource.
ReplyDeleteThis is the David Lebovitz post and it's HILARIOUS! Read it, and also David Sedaris' writings on France are great too. YAY for you!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2010/06/should_i_move_to_france_25_quest.html
try airbnb.com or roomarama.com
ReplyDeleteContact Bardot in Blue http://bardotinblue.com/ and her mom Charmaine @ http://french-kissed.com/. Charmaine mentioned an apartment in a post earlier this week that is available and although she lives in Santa Barbara her daughter lives and works in Paris. These are two of my favorite blogs. Good for you for following your dreams!
ReplyDeletemy husband and i lived in paris for three months last summer while he did an internship and i just took 4 hours a day of french classes and bummed around the city. we used lodgis to find our apartment (someone already suggested that) and i kind of feel like we got ripped off. 900 euro a month (plus a HEFTY fee) for 128 sq. feet, but we had an amazing view of the eiffel tower and arc de triomphe from our tiny 6th floor balcony. if we were to do it again we would have stayed in a hostel/hotel/short term rental (like a week or so) and then dealt with apartments in person to avoid those finders fees. we knew people who were living in fabulous locations and with decent sized apartments for 300-400 euro a month. my husband does speak fluent french and we don't have kids, so that probably isn't the best option for you unless your husband goes early or something (and has access to a phone).
ReplyDeletemy other suggestion would be to try contacting the bishop of the paris ward... there are a lot of americans in the paris/versailles ward and might be able to point you in the right direction.
sorry for the marathon comment. there are probably some people with better recommendations and more experience. but i thought i'd just throw our experience out there. that is fabulous that you're taking advantage of the time you've got. best of luck.
I'm excited for you already! I know how you feel. I'm starting to plan my grand return to New York for later this year, fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI think that's the perfect position to be in! Luck you!
ReplyDeleteHave you thought about a housing exchange?
How very exciting! We have this on our horizon too- though not as soon. Having lived in South America for over a year and a half, we wanted to do Europe too, but there is that snag of the EU's three month time limit... if you are working remotely-which we did in Buenos Aires and elsewhere-how do you get a work visa to live for an extended time? I would love to know what you find out! And good luck! (Though you could always do three months - it is better than nothing if that is your only option!)
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing experience it will be for you.
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend and I decided that when we get married we won't have a honeymoon and will instead move to NYC for a year.
I've dreamed about Paris as well, but New York is definitely number one.
How exciting! Courtney of "The Hungry Yogini" blog just spent a few months in Paris...she might be a good person to connect with for info. I recently rented a cottage through Home Away (homeaway.com), and they let you filter by date and size and price and all that good stuff, which is helpful. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh....this is amazing news!!!!!! Good for you!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi! I just got linked to your blog. I currently live in Paris and recently decided to extend my stay. Looking for a studio / long-term rentals is actually proving to be NOT that painful.
ReplyDeleteI've been using Paristay.com and someone else commented about the site lodgis.com which both charge finders fees, but I think it's worth it.
Good luck!
http://www.holiday-velvet.com/
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely read "The Sweet Life" by David Lebovitz. He is an American pastry chef that moved to Paris several years ago and writes about the hilarious adventures of moving to Paris. You can also find tons of advice for Paris trips/living on his blog, davidlebovitz.com.
ReplyDeleteWe just moved to Paris from FL about 2 weeks ago. My Husband is French so it is a little different for us (his family had an apartment in Paris). One of my husbands co-workers is an Expat they are moving into a new apartment and the landlord is requesting 10 months pre-paid rent!!! My husband explained that they do not have someone (French) to "vouch" for them (I believe they mean a co-signer). They are in a posh area so other areas might be different. I do know that there is a way they "calculate" how much you are allowed to rent. YES allowed to rent. I am not sure what it is called. But they take your gross pay and you can only rent a % of your gross pay. It is not much. I could find out what it is called from my husband if you would like.
ReplyDeleteWe are in a Temp Housing (waiting for our shipment to arrive - that is another thing you should think about...how to ship your items) we rented through Parisian Home. Maybe you can start there.
You will also need a Long Stay Visa to stay longer than 3 months. The French Gov't has immigration issues as the US so they only allow for certain reasons. If you will be working remotely they might just need proof you can support yourself while in France.
I have a blog that I started if you want to check it out for ideas on how it's going for us. It is mostly for my family and friends at home. I have a little 1 year old...and that is a whole different story. Just dealing with walking with a stroller is a big ordeal...I haven't attempted the Metro with it yet;-) Good Luck!
I found you via http://blog.lilacandivy.com/ and yes this is a cool site loaded with dreamy pictures.
ReplyDeleteAs other have said...Haven in Paris are the people to speak to.
ReplyDeleteI work for a luxury travel company and we will often refer our clients to HIP when they are looking for affordable, beautiful places. Everyone there is a pleasure to work with and they are very responsive.
Yay! If we can be of any service as you move to the best city in the world, please do let us know!
ReplyDeleteMaggie
hipparis.com
haveninparis.com
Try angloinfo.com (particularly the forums). That's where I rented my 1 bedroom in France (which comfortably slept 4). I rented directly from the owner, without going through an agent or paying a fee.
ReplyDeleteI wired her a deposit and paid the rest in cash when I got there and saw the apartment in person.
This sounds so exciting I can't stand it. I hope you go through with it.
ReplyDeleteThis is something we've explored a few different times. It's an experience not to be missed! I found Haven to be very helpful, and I also did endless googling, which depending on your French can be very helpful.
ReplyDeleteWith kids it would be great to be in the Marais or the 16th. The 16th is so quiet and clean and the Marais is so full of life and lots of youngs families.
I would also recommend that you read Adam Gopnik's "Paris to the Moon" if you haven't already.
I would love to rent an apartment in Paris in 2011. Also, check out Airbnb. I have rented through them and it is a great site.
ReplyDeleteso exciting - my husband, baby and i just moved to paris 2 weeks ago and we already dread returning to canada! i would NOT recommend parisattitude.com - 2 days before leaving they informed us that the apartment we had rented had flooded and they were not very helpful at all. i would say rent directly through the owner or come here and stay at a hotel for a few days and find something when you arrive, much cheaper it seems. our blog may give you some ideas...www.99daysinparis.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteplease find a place with a guest bedroom ; )
ReplyDeleteso exciting - my husband, baby and i just moved to paris 2 weeks ago and we already dread returning to canada! i would NOT recommend parisattitude.com - 2 days before leaving they informed us that the apartment we had rented had flooded and they were not very helpful at all. i would say rent directly through the owner or come here and stay at a hotel for a few days and find something when you arrive, much cheaper it seems. our blog may give you some ideas...www.99daysinparis.wordpress.com
ReplyDeleteHi Jordan,
ReplyDeleteI live in Paris now and would be happy to talk to you about it. I have two sons as well (3 and 8 months). A good place to start for apartments is www.sabbaticalhomes.com, or join Messageparis, an anglophone parenting community with *very* active forums. There is an annual fee, but it is worth it and many many of your questions will be answered in the forums (plus they organize playdates for different ages, by neighborhood, plus other fun events throughout the year). I'll be here next year too, so perhaps we will overlap (I bought some red balloons from you for my 3 year-old's 1st birthday party, when we were still in San Francisco). Good luck!
Paris To The Moon is an excellent book (as suggested in an earlier post).
ReplyDeleteI hope you move to Paris. I live in London and love living abroad...
How exciting! I hope someday I have the same realization...
ReplyDeleteGood luck - I sadly have no advice to offer, but I can't wait to read more about your journey!
I used appartager.fr to find my apartment in Paris, but I was just renting a room--I don't know if they do full-out apartment rentals.
ReplyDeleteI would go with the suggestions that have already been made to find something short-term first and look at everything in person. A lot of apartments in Paris are quite old and dingy, so being able to check them out in person is invaluable--especially because you can be in a great neighborhood and literally a block or two over it's kind of shady.
If the bishopric of the Paris ward hasn't changed, the bishop is American, so you don't need to speak French to contact him and get any advice or resources from him.
Good luck!
I think this is great! I apologise for being snappy yesterday!
ReplyDeleteI must have totally missed the line where you said work remotely, I really think this is great these are the times to do greatness.
i just returned from five months in france — you will absolutely love it! parlez-vous français?
ReplyDeleteVery exciting!!
ReplyDeleteI lived in France for about 18 months several years ago and I managed without a visa by leaving every 3 months for a week or so (very easy to do if you're going to travel around Europe). As long as you have stamps in your passport, I found that there was no problem.
I would definitely get in touch w/ the ex-pat community in Paris to find out if they have apartment leads.
Google "expat Paris" and I bet you'll find lots of info.
You're so lucky! I work as a consultant and am trying to get the nerve up to move to France in a year or so - my family has a house in Brittany! Good luck and bon courage!!
no recommendations, just a huge jealous "lucky you!" all the best and i cannot wait to follow your adventures (you better keep us all posted!)
ReplyDeleteI lived in Paris years ago. The toughest part is getting your utilities turned on! Once you arrive the bulletin board at the Eglise American is a great resource to find sitters etc. and perhaps apartments. http://www.acparis.org/
ReplyDeleteparis is in our plans too.
ReplyDeletemaybe we'll see you there next year. :)
good luck!
So excited to think of the possibilities for you in Paris!
ReplyDeleteYay you for even beginning to scope it out - the beginning of a fabulous trajectory for you and your family, I feel!
i can understand your pull to paris, its the ultimate place to live with all its hisotry and modern culture, i have planned that once in life i am going to paris and spending my best vacations there
ReplyDeleteWow, this is amazing. I fully you support you living your dream!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI live in Paris and moved several times.
The two most important web sites for researches are :
http://fr.123immo.com/
and
http://www.avendrealouer.fr/
But I am not sure they have a English translation.
Good luck (it's not easy!) And if you need other informations, just email me, if you want.
Congratulations with your decision to move to Paris! How wonderful. I've so enjoyed reading this thread of comments as my husband and I are going to Paris for a 2 month sabbatical in August and September. We've only been once before as tourists - but this time we'll be there long enough to really experience living in the city. So excited!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any advice on Paris- but I did live in Provence for five years... Now is a perfect time.
ReplyDeleteI hear everyone going on about http://www.airbnb.com/. Gives you great pictures to go with the description. Funky places, out of the way places, this site has it all!
ReplyDeleteWe have a Parisian student living with us for the summer...thinking about hiding in her suitcase when she goes home!
hi! i live in paris now and have been here for about three years. i would recommend pap.fr to look for an apartment.
ReplyDeletedo you know how you are going to get a visa? that is the most difficult part of it all, unfortunately. :(
but i wish you the best of luck, and feel free to contact me with any questions! :)
katie beth
bye bye
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! I read an amazing book called Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris by Sarah Turnbull. I highly recommend it, its fascinating and full of information about Parisian culture.
ReplyDeleteI am taking my kids to France in September so they can go to a French school for a year. I did look in Paris for an apartment, but settled on the French countryside. I rented a house on the edge of the Loire Valley. I found sabbaticalhomes.com to be very helpful. You deal directly with the owners and they will probably speak English.
ReplyDeleteFor studying French, I have found Rosetta Stone to be great.
We have been planning for about a year. I could go on and on about the details, but I will stop myself. I have to say, the planning part has been fun for me! I hope it is for you as well.
Oh my goodness! This is hugely exciting. Of course you must ask Nicole at little brown pen.
ReplyDeleteIts a huge and somewhat frightening step to make such a big move, I'm so glad that Ashley and I moved to NY when we could. Though it has had some challenges, its been so rewarding living on the other coast and experiencing a different culture. Paris would be amazing.
wish you the best of lucks making this dream come true... have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI lived in Paris for a year - have fun! I rented my studio, sight unseen, from www.nyhabitat.com and it was a wonderful experience. Good luck!
ReplyDelete-TannerAdair
We have had amazing luck with homeexchange.com. I'd imagine it is more difficult finding a long term switch than a vacation but we have been asked to do year exchanges with Italy and Washington DC (alas working remotely isn't an option). I really highly recommend the service to anyone with wanderlust and a tight budget.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Paris in my twenties with my now husband...it was magical. Did you see this: http://babyccinokids.com/2010/06/27/things-to-do-with-boys-in-paris/
ReplyDeleteI can't even take it... this is beyond amazing. PLEASE do it!
ReplyDeleteOkay ~ we need to meet! My husband and I are totally going for the same thing next year "trying on France and seeing how it fits!"
ReplyDeleteJust found you blog via my lovely friend Estelle (of Under a Pink Moon)....and I'm hooked!
Bonjour :)
ReplyDeleteAs a French citizen i would highly recommend www.seloger.fr. I think this is the most efficient. Unfortunately i don't think there's an English version of it but it's quite simple to use.
Anyway, you're gonna love it :)
xx
I don't have any advice for you, but I am so very happy for you! It's one of my dreams to live overseas (Florence or London are my cities of choice), and I had begun to think that maybe it just wasn't meant to be. I know it sounds silly (especially considering I'm in my early 20s), but this post made me realize that our dreams can come true; they just might not always be on our time table. Anyway, good luck in your new adventure! I'll be wishing you the best!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWanted to chime in that for hotel-length stays, I've had luck in the states with Vacation Rentals by Owner & home away. In case you get stuck, they both have listings in Paris.
http://www.vrbo.com/search?q=paris&rspec=regions:846
http://www.homeaway.com/search/keywords:paris
That is wonderful news!!! How exciting! Bon courage!
ReplyDeleteliving in Paris is Love, Romance, and Beauty!!feel Lucky to be here!! LIVING IN PARIS
ReplyDeleteYou can also try immoweb.fr! On the left upper corner is a button for either French or English. I've never lived in Paris, but my husband and I lived in Belgium for a while - and we used that site.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!!
http://www.parisperfect.com/apartments-for-rent-in-paris.php
ReplyDeleteLiving abroad was the best leap we ever made...my advice: don't have "American" expectations, enjoy the people,live simply! It will be the BEST thing you've ever done. Also, don't wimp out, it's not easy...but so worth it! :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Rome was my dream - but I'm settling for London. If you and the fam ever want to do an apartment swap for a weekend - the Lybberts LOVE Paris!
ReplyDeletei heartily feel moving to Paris is a great idea!!! So great post!!! MOVING TO PARIS
ReplyDeleteFYI:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/business/global/07rent.html?_r=2&emc=eta1
when i lived in paris, i found my apartment through http://www.nyhabitat.com/...my landlady was totally loopy, but the apt was super reasonable, furnished, and in a great location near rue montorgueil.
ReplyDeleteenjoy! (and don't forget to go to rose bakery and merci!!)
Ooohh Paris. It's so wonderful! How exciting to plan a move there.
ReplyDeleteYou should check out our Paris City Guide on Babyccino Kids: http://babyccinokids.com/paris
Emilie has really covered off all of the best kid-friendly things to do/see/eat/play/shop, etc.
Congratulations - very exciting news! I came across this website: www.provencewest.com via the blog 'Cote de Texas' - some of the properties for rent are so dreamy!
ReplyDeletebeing a parisian, I will let you know if i hear about any opportunities.. feel free to contact me !
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteI am 41 years old and parisian for about the same time
We recently bought with my wife an elegant one bedroom with really a nice view on the Dome des Invalides in the heart of the 7th arrondissement of Paris.
We rent it for tourists or sometimes businessmen when they come to Paris.
You can have a look on our (homemade) website
Bye bye et peut-être à bientôt à Paris...
We look forward to welcoming you in Paris
Philippe & Sabine
Paris, France
Try looking at FUSAC.com, stands for France USA Connection, you might have some luck finding a long term rental that is furnished... if you're only moving for just a year, moving your whole home is not ideal. Trust me, I've lived on four continents, of which 10 years were spent in Paris. 2-3 bedrooms is quite big for Paris, but not impossible, you may just have to get used to a) smaller spaces and b) fewer common rooms, and c) small kitchen. The key will be living within walking distance to the metro, though if your kids are really small and still using strollers the passage down into the metro is not handicap friendly, but somehow French mothers manage. Good luck and drop me a line if you have specific Paris questions.
ReplyDelete