Large Luminous Studio in Charming Old Antibes - Great Location
Owner info
Year Purchased: 2010
About the owner: It was, as the French say, a 'coup de foudre' (love at first sight) when I saw Arlette behind the counter at her French café in California. A year later we were married in her native Antibes. And several years after that, we sold our Los Angeles home and moved the family to Antibes. The move has been a wonderful homecoming for Arlette, who has been away for 26 years, and a great adventure for me, as it is now my turn to get used to another language and culture. And what a wonderful culture it is! Very different from the hustle and bustle of the States. Our son, who is an architect in nearby Vallauris, France, also is loving his new home. Both Arlette and I have been blessed with rich and interesting careers. She spent many years as a teacher of both physical education and French, but has also been an artist, the founder of a women's charity helping homeless families, the owner of a French café outside of Los Angeles and, of course, a mother. As she has a wonderful eye, many friends and real estate agents have asked her to 'stage' their house for sale. I have worked as an aide to the mayor of New York City, the executive director of a nonprofit social services agency, the president of an alternative energy development company and when I was in my twenties, a chief of police on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Arlette and I both look forward to new adventures all the time.
Why the Owner Chose Antibes:
Ever since we got married in France years ago, we have maintained a second home in Antibes. We love the Vieil Antibes and we found ourselves visiting often for vacations or to stay close to Arlette's family.
When we decided to move permanently to Antibes, we bought the entire floor of a 16th century building in the middle of the 'old town' and remodeled it for ourselves, installing up-to-date kitchens, bathrooms, tilework, etc. The studio we rent to our vacationing guests was created during this work.
The remodel was interesting (at times challenging) as the building's old stone walls are 30 inches thick, but the results are very gratifying. We bought this particular building because it is strategically located and it is where we personally wanted to live - close to all amenities. Our guests will enjoy the location immensely, if they want to be surrounded by life on the Côte d'Azur in a wonderful setting - cafés, restaurants, the beach, 16th century remparts that are perfect for evening strolls, older men playing pétanque in the parks, a group cyclists streaming by shouting Italian to one another, a shiny red Ferrari parked on a narrow cobblestone street, a basket of strikingly yellow Mimosa flowers. And, a outdoor market with fresh food at your doorstep. This is not a bucolic small village in the French countryside, this is a popular year-round community with interesting year-round activities.
The Unique Benefits at this Apartment:
Location, location. What is true about real estate investment is also true for vacation destinations. Antibes is a sought after destination and has been ever since the Greeks started a city here thousands of years ago. It offers great weather, beaches, a wonderful harbor, good public transportation, great food in cafés and restaurants, security and stability, good accommodations, French culture, nightlife, year-round interesting activities like the annual Jazz Festival, attractions like Marineland, a preserved yet lively 'old town' and yes, even a little bit of glamour from nearby Monaco and Cannes.
Food is a national pastime in France and our guests have a myriad of choices to indulge. 'Old Antibes' is full of restaurants and cafés that we can recommend. Although most are, of course, French cuisine, there are others that offer Chinese, Indian and British menus. Obviously, being as close as Antibes is to Italy, there are very good Italian restaurants.
The apartment has a fully equipped kitchen and the best farmers market (Marché Provençal) is two steps away from our front door. This outdoor market was picked by CNN as one of the world's 10 best fresh food markets! The displays of locally-grown vegetables, cheeses, flowers, spices and whatnot are great fun. The immediate neighborhood also has numerous specialty shops with fresh croissants and baguettes, fish, meat, wines - you name it.
Or you do what my wife and I frequently do - go to the market and buy some goat cheese, a little sausage, some cooked chicken, 2 mandarins and a baguette and Voila, a ready-made picnic to go.
Another delight are the dishes indigenous to the Southeast of France, like Socca. Socca is a chickpea type of crêpe that is cooked in a wood-burning stove. A single helping bought at the Marché Provençal on a paper plate is 2 euros - cheap and delicious.
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Photos
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Our living room.
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The Italian sofa transforms into a comfortable second double bed for two.
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Marble vanity
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Come back from the marché provençal to our fully-equipped kitchen.
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The marché provençal is 100 meters from our front door - a cook's delight!
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Our own beach at the foot of the Remparts, behind the studio.
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Port Vauban is three minutes from our doorstep.
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Welcoming flowers for every guest and a special gift basket for honeymooners.
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Luxurious bath and separate walk-in Italian shower.
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Mezzanine with master bed.
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View from the window to cafés & street life on rue Aubernon.
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CNN voted our marché 'one of the ten best fresh food markets in the world'!
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Rue Saint Esprit just behind our studio.
VRBO #350977
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This listing was first published here in 2011.
Date last modified - Sunday, June 22, 2014