January 10, 2012 by Kelly Page
After having made the huge, scary, glorious decision to quit my plum entertainment job of 14 years to move to Paris, all I could picture was drinking rosé in fabulous cafes in St. Germain and strolling with my soon-to-be-named French lover along the Seine. It was going to be all storybook romance and Parisian perfection, right? What could possibly go wrong?
Finding an Apartment
The first big task on moving to Paris was finding an apartment. I felt like a Parisian kid in a confiserie as I set out to look through all the online listings. I was picturing my new, highbrow, literary friends meeting in my salon and debating whether Anna Karenina was due society’s scorn or the victim of a double standard. And then there would be the lavish, multi-course creations that would appear out of my kitchen and people would say, are you sure she’s not French-trained or a descendant of Julia Child?
As I dug into the apartment search further and started to learn the meter to square feet conversion, a rosé hangover started to kick in. How was I supposed to entertain the French literati in a space the size of a parking spot? Would my culinary creations have to come from a hot plate in my Betty Crocker play kitchen? Oh, no, this wouldn’t do. I decided an in-person visit would be best because I was sure there were some things that weren’t translating on the web page. Continue Reading »
Posted in Homes | 9 Comments »
February 19, 2010 by Tory Hoen
When I lived in the 5th arrondissement, I spent hours pounding the pavement (or the cobblestones, as it were) just exploring and trying to make sense of the diverse elements that make up the neighborhood: the historic Place de la Contrescarpe with its charming cafés, the lively market street Rue Mouffetard, the wild Jardin des Plantes, the magnificent blue-and-white-tiled mosque (La Mosquée de Paris), and the unexpected Arènes de Lutèce (a first century Roman amphitheatre). But more often than not, my walks ended with me staring up at the breathtaking Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute), my face tilted skyward as I struggled to take in the awesomeness that is this structure. Continue Reading »
Posted in Design, Parisian Living | 3 Comments »
September 19, 2009 by Tory Hoen
While Paris is the perfect city for aimless ambling, there is a time and a place for directed exploration. Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of taking Context Tours’ “Art and Architecture of Gothic Paris” walk, led by American architect and Paris resident Michael Herrman. While Context always keeps their tour groups small (usually 6 people max.), I was fortunate enough to have the tour all to myself, and—as is typical of Context tours—Michael was happy to customize the experience to my specific areas of interest. Continue Reading »
Posted in Arts, Tours and Classes | 1 Comment »
August 10, 2009 by Tory Hoen
With real estate prices declining and more unique living spaces becoming available to buyers, it’s an exciting time to be practicing architecture in Paris. I recently chatted with American architect Michael Herrman about the challenges and rewards of working in a city where contemporary design is finding its place amid some of Europe’s most revered historical architecture. Michael brings a fresh point-of-view to this paradox, maintaining that the most inspired architecture arises from the intersection of new and old, classic and modern, existing and imagined. In his recently launched private practice, he will continue to explore these dichotomies as he makes his mark on Paris. Continue Reading »
Posted in Arts, Parisian Living | 2 Comments »
Chris Waits; David L. 
Mollie C.; Chris Waits
