VINGT Paris

Plein travaux/tenants?

Had a nasty surprise today when I went to see a beautiful rental apartment for a new relocation client this week. The owner had neglected to tell me the whole coutyard of the building was in plein travail: dust, noise, ten workmen, scaffolding, various buckets of Seine coloured liquid. It looked like they'd just started too but I found out later it was supposed to have finished in December 2005! This is a risky part of being a home owner in Paris. When Travaux starts, it can be interminable and if you have bought an apartment to rent out it can decimate your chances of finding a tenant, and more importantly, keeping them happy.

Zipping about in Paris

One of the sites I use every day is RATP (linked on my useful links section). It's invaluable to know the fastest route when sometimes I can have up to 10 seperate appointments in a day. You just type in the address you are leaving from and the place you are going. The site then brings up the quickest and most efficient route, using either bus, metro or RER. Or, you can ask for a route only by bus (air-conditioned) if it's hot weather and you don't want to take the Metro (definitely not air-conditioned).

My bike is back in action but it's not such a great first impression to arrive at a meeting looking as disshevelled as I usually do after pedalling for 30 minutes. The bike lanes are great and the drivers are surprisingly considerate though. I can't stretch to a driver yet and I'm too scared to go by moped, even if they look cool and appeal to my inner Mod.

Despite all this, I had to stop for a dip in the pool at Butte aux Cailles yesterday to cool off in the middle of the day. It must have been all of seven minutes I was in the water but it was enough to refresh me for the next part of the day. Here's a photo of the queue to get in!

rue St Denis is not just for you know what

It's great for shopping too. Covered passages can be found peppered through the 1st, 2nd and 9th districts but if you’re not on the look-out you can easily miss these beautiful shopping walkways. The character of each varies, Passage du Grand-Cerf next to the rather insalubrious (but gentrifying) rue Saint-Denis area, crossing with rue Dussoubs, is definitely worth more than a peek for the young design talent it hosts.

Inside is a mix of mini-boutiques, restaurants, ateliers (workshops) and furniture shops. Brazilian restaurant Ang’s at no. 2 is a great place for a sandwich and at the other end of the passage there is a furniture shop selling cute French door handles for 5 euros a pop.

Others to note are MX , a very hip designer who makes jewellery from pearls and As’Art African art gallery.

In May and October the area hosts les "Puces du Design" dedicated to furniture from the 60’s and 70’s.

But go in the afternoon because the shopkeepers seem to be rather sleepy and only open after lunch.

Seriously, I am watching the prostitution rate very carefully. Now that Montorgueill has up and come, the Sentier and rue St Denis' working girls are getting pushed into a concentrated area and after new laws outlawing street-walking it could be clocking off time for the Ladies of the Night. Actually, it's a law which is putting more women in danger as they turn to the internet to find clients and receive them in their homes or hotels. Without the carmaraderie of the rue if something goes wrong and the punter turns out to be dodgy, it's harder to get help from the others. I saw a great documentary where many prostitutes were interviewed and they were bemoaning the fact that they are being pushed into more clandestine quarters. Still, it won't hurt the property prices.

Noisiest street in Paris

This really takes the biscuit.

I walked down rue de Lappe in Bastille, the notorious street celebrated for it's vie nocturne and lined with bars. Frankly, it's main claim to fame is that's it's probably the noisiest in Paris (at least Wednesday through Saturday).

I once stayed at an apartment here and even though it was well insulated against (normal) noise and set back off the street I was awake all night listening to street brawls, lovers tiffs and people throwing up.

I spotted a "For Sale" sign half-way down, right above a Corsican bar, an apartment on the first floor. Being inside must have felt like actually being in the bar itself, minus the drageurs who also frequent this area.

I couldn't help myself from calling up and just see what the Real Estate agent would ask for such a little gem. Over 9000 euro per m². Choke! It's a 45m² 2 room apartment. Who could possibly want such a property? I don't care how many hanging baskets full of geraniums they've hung up.

The Paris underworld

It's essential to check out your cave (cellar) properly when you are buying an apartment. This is the area in the bowels of your building which can be used to stock your wines but also, bikes, old furniture and often nomadic friend's belongings as the pass in and out of Paris in my case - ("Hey, you have a cave, can I leave some stuff for a month or two?"). So, they're a nice little commodity and not to be sniffed at. Always ask if there is one when sussing out a property to buy. It can also add value, even if you don't need it for storage yourself, it could be rented to a neighbour short of space.

Last week, on investigating a cave for a potential purchaser I was stopped in my tracks when I saw this notice posted to the door. Due to thefts, a number of caves had been protected by their owners with traps! I've braved some difficult situations for my clients, normally more likely to be negotiations with tetchy Real Estate agents, but this is ridiculous. Suffice to say I came out unscathed.

If you are considering storing good wine in your new cave it really is important to be sure that it is neither too dry or too humid or you will not do those fine wines any good.

Always check it out first, Caveat Emptor is a very important maxim here in Paris (as it is anywhere but you have been warned!).

Has the rot set in?

Guess where this is? Right at the top of rue Montorgueill - the area that has fast become one of the most sought spots in central Paris with prices to match. Famed for it's bustling market, specialist food shops and great restaurants - as well as location in the heart of the city - it was once a great deal.

First were the young trendy French couples, Le Branchés, the Italians hot on their heels when they were priced out of the Marais and now.....Starbucks.

It really sucks. Where will we go when Paris becomes infested with chain bars and restaurants, (see the area around Bercy Village and the Brasserie Flo group)? It's happening. Be warned.

Easy like Sunday....

For East Parisian 30-somethings there’s only one place to be seen on a Sunday morning; schlepping around Marche d’Aligre for the week’s groceries in their trendy sandals.

The market is one of the less chi-chi in Paris and the stall holders are pretty aggressive when it comes to marketing their wares. Some will stop you on your way past their stand and try and force feed you melon or cherries or whatever fruit is in season. In the heart of the square the market surrounds is the (slightly more genteel) Marché Couvert Beauvau-St-Antoine (a section of permanent stalls and one of the last covered markets in Paris) - here you’ll find a poultry specialist, tons of cheese stalls and lady selling home-made Mauritian specialities such as real ginger cordial. The area’s North African character means if you want to get cheap products such as henna, rose water or harissa (the fiery paste from the Maghreb made from chili peppers, garlic and cumin) you’ll find them in the permanent shops surrounding the market itself.

There’s also an open air flea market selling second hand clothes, shoes and a pretty cool hat stall.

Next stop - Bar a Vins “Le Baron Rouge” at no. 1, rue Théophile Roussel. They have barrels of wine (it’s a great place to buy wholesale if you’re having a party – ask for Olivier Facon, the Manager) and you can taste a few because they come by the glass – about 12 will be chalked up on the boards for your degustation. Served with a plate of charcuterie and it’ll stave of the hunger pangs before you get home and tuck into your wares from the market. It’s hard to get a seat inside unless you arrive early but you can enjoy people-watching from beside the upturned barrels on the street.

D-Day for taxes

Yesterday was the day when the previous year’s tax declaration was due in France (for residents). You can get slapped with a great big tax a year later, unless you sign up for voluntary mensualisation, a monthly prepayment.

You're in charge of your own declaration, you tell them what you’ve earned, they do the calculation and come back to you with what you owe.

Good to know: if you have any questions about the process, just toddle down to your Hôtel des Impôts and the charming officals there will help explain the form and practicallly fill it out for you. I've found that Tax fonctionaires to be some of the most helpful people in French administrative life. How ironic.

The Annual general Meeting - yawn?

I received my monthly newsletter from a Paris based jurist who consults on various issues regarding life in France to an English speaking clientele. I was surprised to read this excerpt relating to attending the Annual General meeting of the "copropriété", (Home owner's Commitee).

"This client owns a small apartment in Paris and asked me to attend the annual general meeting for the second year in a row. This year it lasted for four hours and finished after 10PM. Considering the fact that my fee for attending the meeting exceeded half of the monthly rent, I questioned whether my presence there was in my client's best interests. From a strictly financial point of view, the co-owners were voting to approve expenses, some of them rather weighty, so there was no way I could justify my cost by any kind of immediate savings for her. "

Yes, the meetings do tend to go on and on but it's absolutely essential to attend them and the cost is negligble, Bonapart Clients pay a flat fee of 800 euros for attendance at an "AGE" (annual general meeting), and compared with taking responsibility of participating in the life of the building you have purchased it's not that bad. Plus, isn't it much better to stay informed?

This makes it sound like owning property here is expensive but compare the annual taxes on a large property in the Marais (700 euros per annum) and those on a home in Texas (5000 US$ per annum).

Hmm, Paris, Texas or Paris, France? You choose..........