14 Reasons Why I Love Living In Paris
I am in my fourth year of my love-hate (but mostly loving) relationship with Paris. In celebration of Valentine's Day and all things amour, here's a list of 14 reasons I love about living in the French capital.
1. The outdoor market. I cherish my weekly trip to the market (marché Monge). There's something about being outside and chatting with the sellers when picking out fruit, veggies, and flowers that I love.
2. The architecture. Paris will forever impress with its Haussmannian style architecture uniformly across the city.
3. History at your fingertips. The first time I came to Paris, I remember thinking how old everything was, especially coming from the U.S. where a 200-year old monument seems relatively new. Time gives such perspective!
4. The food and wine. There is some serious joie de vivre to be had, living in a country that takes such pride and pleasure in its food and drink.
Brunch at Le Peninsula Paris
5. Walking everywhere. While a dense public transit network connects the city, I love nothing more than to walk, especially in Autumn and Spring! Paris is big but you can usually get where you need to go in 45 minutes or less à pied.
6. Café culture. I love going out with friends and hopping from one café to the next, ordering verre après verre.
7. People watching. Maybe it’s the American in me, maybe it’s my small-ish town roots, but in a city of this grandeur, I can't help but be in awe of the diversity.
8. Chic style. Let's be real, it's nice to be surrounded by chic people – and inspirational, even if I may never achieve that je ne sais quoi like Caroline de Maigret or Jeanne Damas.
9. The solidarity. Whether it's misery loves company on the morning metro ride to shared empathy in times of darkness to a universal love for French wine, the solidarity runs strong.
10. It's an international hub. It's easy to catch a flight in and out of Paris from Charles de Gaulle or Orly airports. I frequently have friends and family visiting, be it a quick layover or an extended visit.
11. Some of America's coolest countrymen lived here. Gives me warm fuzzies as a patriot and history lover.
Ernest Hemingway's old apartment on 74 rue Cardinal Lemoine, 75005 Paris.
12. The pastries. Speaks for itself.
13. Living in the 5ème. You develop a relationship with the neighborhood in which you live, and I am in a very committed one with the 5th arrondissement. From its central location, proximity to the Seine, and home to some of the city's most historical sights, I don’t see us breaking up anytime soon!
14. The memories. I met my husband in Paris...in a Cuban bar (Le Follow) located between Place des Vosges and la Bastille that sadly no longer exists, but as Howard Koch said, "We'll always have Paris."