EXPATRIATE PARIS
by BeatChick
I state on my Paris home page that Paris feels like home to me. I feel that if reincarnation is true that surely I must have lived in Paris from the 1920s to the '40s because I feel so closely associated with the Expat movement. Some of the famous expatriates that draw me to Paris are the Fitzgeralds, F. Scott & Zelda, the Hemingways, T. S. Eliot, Josephine Baker, Gertrude Stein & her brother Leo & Alice B. Toklas, Henry Miller & many, many more that you've probably discerned from reading my Off-the-Beaten-Path tips.
On my next trip I plan to include the haunts of Richard Wright, the black American expatriate writer who lived in Paris from 1946 until his death in 1960 (his ashes are in Père Lachaise) & who was a close friend of Sylvia Beach's (she published James Joyce's Ulysses). Wright hung out at Beach's original bookstore/lending library, Shakespeare & Co., quite a bit, which at that time was located at 12 Rue de l'Odeon. She once said "Of all the writers I have known, he is the most unselfish & thoughtful...Fellas like Hemingway appear uncouth besides Dick Wright". Also, he was close to Simone de Beauvoir & Sartre, so he may have hung out with them at Café de Flore, a huge tourist attraction now. Some of his haunts include:
1, bis rue de Vaugirard - Hôtel Trianon Palace (now the Hôtel Trianon Rive Gauche) - his 1st residence
38, boulevard St-Michel - just around the corner & his 2nd residence
14, rue Monsieur-le-Prince - 3rd-floor apt. - Martin Luther King, Jr. visited Richard Wright in this apt March 1959.
Père Lachaise - Columbarium southeast corner
Anyway, I do much research in this area from many different books & things I've gleaned over the years. Please, if this sort of thing interests you, too, feel free to e-mail me & I'll be happy to scout out expat locations for you. Tromping around the 5th & the 6th arrondissements searching out homes of favorite expat & Beat artists, writers & poets from the '20s & '40s.
Photo: April 2003
Forum Posts
1st timers in Paris!
by Richie78
My girlfriend and I are flying by Ryanair (Beauvais airport) to Paris from 29 April - 2 May 2005 to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. neither of us have ever been to Paris. I'm looking for suggestions of a well presented 2-3 Star Hotel with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and convenient location to restaurants & bars and easy access to the tourist sites. I am also looking for suggestions of romantic things to do in terms of walks, restaurants (mid range prices) and tourist sites. Things that give you a real, authentic feel of the place.
Thanks in advance.
RE: 1st timers in Paris!
by daftpunk
I stayed at Les Trois Poussins - loads of reviews here... http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d228843-Reviews-Les_Trois_Poussins_Hotel-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
RE: 1st timers in Paris!
by meheu
Try the Hotel Saint Dominique, http://www.saintdominique.com/ a nice 2 stars hotel located near the Eiffel Tower, newly renovated. The hotel is clean and nice, it was newly renovated this year. It is located in a residential area, with the famous outdoor market of the rue Cler. There are lots of restaurants nearby the hotel. There is a metro station nearby the hotel.
The staff is really nice and helpfull
RE: 1st timers in Paris!
by raphaellecrevet
Romantic walk : along the quays (down the stairs along the river Seine between Notre Dame and the Louvre, and go to the very end of the Ile de la Cité (stairs down the middle of the Pont neuf) you have a romantic view to the Louvre and the Seine. The place des Vosges is also nice, a boat cruise along the river (bateaux mouches type), but everywhere you walk in the center, especially near the river Seine, it sould feel romantic.
RE: 1st timers in Paris!
by JanPeter74
For a first time visit I would suggest to pick a hotel in Quartier Latin. Here you are within walking distance of some of the major highlights such as the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Notre Dame, Jardins de Luxembourg and of course Quartier Latin (with at its centre Place St. Michel) itself, which is the tourist/student area. Advantage is that when you go out at night for dinner or a drink, you can go by foot.
We stayed at Hotel Trianon Rive Gauche, which was simply OK and lies at the border of Quartier Latin. Actually between QL and St. Germain des Prés.
RE: 1st timers in Paris!
by dizzy11
Hey there,
I would highly recommend you go to The Budda Bar for a fun atmosphere that will take you to the wee hours of the morning. Also, make sure and go to Ile St. Louis--the island in the middle where the two sides of the river split. I think you will find plenty of parks where you can just rest as well
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