Romantic 1 Bedrm Apartment on Cobbled Mews

Year Purchased: 2007

About the owner: A New Yorker who migrated some 17 years ago to Paris, I share many people's love for this city. Hemingway's 'movable feast' Paris is very welcoming for those with an appetite for simple pleasures, e.g. croissants, old stones, and humor.

Why the Owner Chose Maison-Blanche, Paris, France:
Lovestruck by the courtyard on a sunny day, I bought this property to live in it at some point. The neighborhood's an important draw from my point of view: it is authentic, a Paris for Parisians, with good bakeries, great restaurants of all kinds, and a lot of artists, families, thirty something professionals, and handy shops. Because I myself try to avoid hotels when traveling, I sympathize with people to whom I rent this apartment -- and I hope that those who choose to come will feel at home, and see this apartment as both charming and a good value. I realize it is a bit off the beaten track, but I think it offers something extra because of that.

The Unique Benefits at this Apartment:
Convenience; authenticity; history; streetlife; novelty; comfort and value. This apartment is a very good base for Paris exploration especially if you want an authentic neighborhood: while close to the center with excellent transportation links, the Butte aux Cailles feels far apart--it has local charm and history (formerly working-class neighborhood; the buildings are mixed, small large old new). Workers from the Gobelins factory themselves built this apartment's building around 1850, for their families. The courtyard used to be a street. I'm told that Victor Hugo had a mistress (a dancer) in one of the apartments on my stairwell-- if you can believe that. (Note that my mews generally has a run down look -- very urban, only very slowly being renovated by residents in the cooperative; stairs are uneven as if they date from 1860.) Residents of the Butte took part in the Commune uprising. And until as late as 1970, there were some twelve factories in the area, making everything from bras to surgical tools. Today, the winding streets, kitchen gardens and many of the families remain and the area attracts young professionals to live: there is a lot of urban street life (cafes, restaurants, and bars) day and night, including excellent restaurants, French and ethnic. The convenience of the location also merits mention, for those who walk, use metros/buses or bikes, or for those who might want to leave town by car (30 minutes to get to Disney or Versailles; a rental car is available at Place d'Italie). For those interested in Paris' continuing and newest developments, Chinatown (and all its restaurants), the new National Library (GBN), the Parc de Bercy (with its Frank Gehry building) are within 10-30 minutes walking distance.