Intro to Kids & France

French parenting vs American parenting has been in the news recently, since the recent release of two very different reflections on child rearing: Amy Chua’s Tiger Mother, albeit     a Chinese-American interpretation, & Pamela Duckerman’s Bringing up Bébé, the French-American perspective. The NewYorker has a somewhat lukewarm & reticent comparison of the two.

There are many different topics for discussion, when it comes to your kids & relocating to France, or even just traveling with them abroad.

Let us know if there is anything YOU would like to know & haven’t heard already.

 More, coming soon… 

13,000 Square feet with American Conveniences in the Heart of Paris

This 120 square meter (12920 sq ft) Haussmanian apartment is one of 3 similar, all in the same building opposite Gare de Lyon. It has walk in showers, jacuzzi baths, multiple covered balconies, elevator, exquisite hardwood floors, high ceilings with decorative crown moulding, double kitchen sinks & gas stove top- If you prefer a furnished apartment, it’s negotiable.

Enjoy easy transport links, taxis & regional trains for other European destinations. Take one of several trains a day to sunny South of France, or go skiing in the Alps. Walk to the Seine in a couple of minutes or see the ballet at the Opéra Bastille. Stroll through the fresh food markets at Marché d’Aligre (Place d’Aligre, Tuesday-Sunday mornings). There is both a covered market that is usually open until around 7pm, as well as an open-air market that closes at 1pm weekdays, 2pm weekends. The covered market has a fantastic cheese selection. 

If you are not entertaining out of this lovely kitchen, you can always pop across the street to the famous Le Train Bleu restaurant, which dubs itself as something between “brasserie & French gourmet cuisine.” With origins from la belle époque, Le Train Bleu is not just a stop-over whilst passing through Gare de Lyon; it is its own destination. Delicious menu, delectable wine list.

At your doorstep there is La Poste (Post Office), & there are banks, boulangeries,  & shopping along Le Viaduc (viaduct). There are several Cave à Vins (wine shops) around the corner: Rouge d’Envie, 12 rue Parrot, Hermès et Bacchus, 6 rue Emile Gilbert, & the famous or infamous Le Baron Rouge, 1 rue Théophile Roussel. Le Baron also doubles as a wine bar.

»»»Thinking corporate rentals or extended family reunions? There are 3 of these apartments in the same building.  Available for contracts of 6 months or longer.

AVAILABLE NOW!

Métro/RER Gare de Lyon: Lines 1, 14 – RER A, D – Bus Lines: 20, 29, 57, 63, 65, 87 - Night Bus: N31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134 - Regional Train Lines

Photo: Le Train Bleu, EntreeToBlackParis, L’Internaute

Boutique Nadja Carlotti

Boutique Nadja Carlotti - 13bis, rue Keller 75011 Paris

Paris is full of small boutiques and creative entrepreneurs. Boutique Nadja Carlotti is a parisian gem. Located just off rue de la Roquette at Bastille, this shop is near a cluster of other young créatrices & also home to Carlotti’s atelier, where you will find her conscientiously working on next season’s creations.

collection Dentelle

Carlotti’s jewelry & accessories are all hand made in Paris & have a certain unique flair. Setting fashion trends, her textile designs featured Liberty of London fabrics, well before Target stores caught wind of Liberty. She offers several different lines, in materials ranging from leather to lace & fashionable metals or gems.

You visit a little Nadja Carlotti world, when you enter her boutique- eclectic, artistique, ephemeral. She also features clothing & fashion items & gifts from a variety of other local designers: Les Cakes de Bertrand, Julie Meuriss, Luma, Sofkipeut, Bibico, Touchemoa, Uncommon Handmade, Chacha by Iris, Anne Thomas, ZÜ, Papier Tigre

boutique hours: Monday 1pm-7:30pm, Tuesday-Saturday 11am-7:30pm, Métro: Bastille

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Photos: Amélie Chassary, Nadja Carlotti

Gare d’Austerlitz – 2 Bedroom

The real advantage to the Gare d’Austerlitz – 2 Bedroom is the sunny apartment itself. It may not be the idyllic 18th century building, but this modern building has an elevator, large balconies, & underground parking. A parking garage is rare, & comes in handy for road trips, guests or large shopping trips. Rent a car & take a tour through French villages to Champagne or Lyon…

This bright, 50 square meter (538 square feet) duplex was just refurbished in January 2012, with new & modern furniture, hardwood floors, & all the appliances one needs. Pop by the local boulangerie in the morning, & enjoy fresh croissants on your balcony.

While the neighborhood is somewhat average by parisian standards, most of Paris is still walkable, & quickly accessible via the métro. You will be right next door to the Latin Quarter, in the 5th arrondissement, & a 10-15 minute walk to Place Monge.

Boulanger de Monge

Walk to the river Seine, Bastille, Île Saint-Louis. Go to fresh food markets are in no shortage. The closest is marché Salpêtrière, Tuesdays & Fridays; however there are several others, including marchés Vincent-Auriol, Wednesdays & Saturdays, & Place Jeanne d’Arc, Thursdays & Sundays. Most of the food markets are open from 7am through early afternoon.

Boulanger de Monge

Go to late night concerts on the famous Batofar, docked along the river, then stroll home. If you love authentic Vietnamese or Chinese food, walk down to Place d’Italie & have your fill.

If you are sportif, Piscine Josephine Baker offers a unique view of Paris. This swim & sports center is essentially a floating barge on the Seine, docked at quay François Mauriac. It has a cafe area, fitness rooms, sun deck, baby pool & 25 meter lap pool. In warm months, the clear roof is removed from the pool to enjoy open-air swimming!

Piscine Josephine Baker

Also benefit from being close to Gare d’Austerlitz & Gare de Lyon; many of the European train links depart from these two stations. With convenient transport links, you can arrive at Château Vincennes in about 20 minutes or Versailles in about 45. This apartment is a good find. €2490/month. For complete info click here.

Métro: Line 5, St. Marcel or Campo Formio, Line 6, Nationale or Chevaleret – Bus Lines: 67, 27, 57, 91 - Night bus: N31

AVAILABLE NOW – 30 April 2012 *Discounted Rate €2000/month* • Available from August 2012 FOR LONG TERM RENTAL 

Photos: timouton, AllBoatsAvenue.com (Alain Sheller), Le Boulanger de Monge (CatherineVanDyk)

Boulogne – Spacious Studio

This spacious studio in Boulogne is technically outside of Paris, but you’d never know it. With access to central Paris via Métro lines 9 & 10, nearly everywhere can be reached within half an hour. It has all the charm of Paris, with a marché alimentaire (fresh food market) literally across the street. Take a look at this video from one of several nearby boulangeries that made my mouth water.

Boulogne-Billancourt, as it is officially named, is among the wealthiest parisian suburbs,located just west of the périphérique. The river Seine makes its first peninsula-like bend around Boulogne, wedging it in between Paris, Saint-Cloud & the Bois de Boulogne. 

Marché Billancourt

Just west of Boulogne is Parc de Saint-Cloud, a 460 acre park featuring several traditional French gardens, as well as a wooded area. It is home to the Château de Saint-Cloud. North of the studio is the Bois de Boulogne, which also flanks the west side of the 16th arrondissement in Paris.

For more local info, visit the following (and remember

Les Passages shopping center Starbucks inside!

GoogleChrome does a great job of translating entire web pages, should you need it!): Le Blog de Boulogne, French Classes in Boulogne, Office of Tourism, Piscine Boulogne (Swimming Center), Local Créateurs, Shopping

Métro: Line 9, Marcel Sembat, Line 10, Boulogne-Jean Jaurès – Bus Lines: 175, 123, 126 – Night Bus: 12

Photos: l’e-bb.info, Gérard Sebatier

This studio is available January 2013

Rue Jacob 3 Bedroom Flat

If you are looking to live in the center of Paris, this apartment in the 6th arrondissement is ideally situated for transport links, walking or cycling. The neighborhood is perfect for the artist, the art collector or investor, families, retirees, students, tourists, historians, shopaholics & foodies.

In comparing parisian apartments upwards of 3 bedrooms & 120 square meters (over 1200 square feet), this one ranks among the best values available. Don’t mistake value for cheap either. Nothing in Paris is cheap, or if it is, it’s certainly not of value. Its only misgiving is the lack of elevator. If you can handle the 5th floor, keep reading.

In the heart of St. Germain des Prés, this duplex apartment has a social side & a private one: Split on 2 levels, the bedrooms are all on the quiet, interior courtyard, while living & dining areas have views of famous restaurants & jazz clubs. The bedrooms are all separate, allowing for privacy, with 2 bathrooms on either side of the apartment. There is bed space for 8 to sleep comfortably. There is a large bathtub & shower, a big kitchen bar & gas stove top. It is also typically French, with a mix of hardwood & French terra cotta tiles (tomettes), as well as exposed wood beams. This apartment is not short on historical surroundings.

Benjamin Franklin resided only a few doors down. He brought together representatives of the 13 American colonies & English representatives to sign the Treaty of Paris in 1783. It was here that England acknowledged US Independence.

Café Flore, Les Deux Magots, Brasserie Lipp are among the most remarkable eateries within a couple of minutes, followed by the macarons of La Durée & Pierre Hermé or the tarts from Gérard Mulot. Previous tenants remarked they would stick their heads out the window at dinner to monitor the line in front of Relais de l’Entrecôte to decide whether or not they would pop down for a quick steak frites. L’Entrecôte is famous for its peppercorn sauce. As the French palate branches out, there are also a number of Asian cuisines on offer, including “Chinese,” Thai, sushi. There is no shortage of crêperies either.

Spring is the time to scout out potential dwellings for next autumn. Take the time to consider Paris 6ième as your new quartier (neighborhood). This apartment is available for longterm rental from September 1, 2012. 

Métro: Line 4 St. Germain des Prés  Bus lines: 39, 95, 96, 24, 63, 86, 87 - Within a few minutes’ walk: Line 10 Mabillon, Line 12 rue du Bac, RER C Musée d’Orsay, RER B St. Michel - 2 Velib’ vélo stations within a block of this apartment; one is opposite the front door of the building.

For complete info on this property click here.

French banking

After more than ten years of banking in France, we have observed that the amount of funds one has in a particular bank does not necessarily reflect the quality or consistency of service. Our clients have dabbled in Premier banking & regular Private banking in several different banks & had equally disappointing results. The key is learning specific vocabulary, always asking lots of questions, & verifying if you need any extra documents because you are not French. Don’t forget patience; our banking systems are not the same.

After going through several different bank managers (they rotate frequently) & several different banks, some clients were so excited when the latest welcomed them with a friendly, reassuring smile. The manager earnestly informed them that they were in good hands & that she could easily meet all their needs. Relevant questions were answered,  & they left in high spirits, feeling confident that their perseverance had finally paid off. You can imagine how underwhelmed they were when her sincerity proved false, however professional her intentions.

Perhaps they changed their address one too many times, or wanted to send one too many international transfers. It still took three attempts to actually accomplish what they wanted. In the USA, we are accustomed to nearly free banking & can’t help but feel slightly cheated to pay so many fees.  There are almost always significant fees involved in French banking. Although there are sometimes good student account offers, no standard bank is free. There is even a fee to close an account. Occasionally, you will come across a very helpful bank manager who will from time to time follow through a request with precision. Make the manager your friend, & he or she can be helpful. They are the ones who are supposed to understand French banking & all the forms, fees, account options available. However, just like any friend, they may also disappoint you.

If your cash is coming from an US bank that is unaccustomed to sending international transfers, it may not know what routing number you need to make a transfer to & from a French account. You will need the RIB (Relevé d’Identité Bancaire) from your French account & the Fedwire BIC number or SWIFT code from your US account. The RIB is a slip of paper containing the account holder’s name, the name of the bank, the branch, the bank code, sort code,  account number, the RIB code. For general banking info, check out our Paris Resources page.

We have finally arrived at a consistent point of service with our own bank, & have no intention of rocking the boat anytime soon. However, some colleagues have gushing reviews of a fairly new online bank, Boursorama. Most of their services are indeed free. There is no physical bank to visit; however, there are videos to assist you with banking actions, & you can request a call-back for further assistance. The site is in French, but if you use Google Chrome as a web browser, it does a pretty good job of translating the site very quickly into any number of languages.

Account receiving money: le compte destinataire

Account holder: Titulaire

Annual Percentage Rate (APR): TEG

ATM machine: un guichet/ or/ un DAB (Distributeur Automatique de Billets)

Balance: le solde

Balance sheet: le bilan

Bank: la banque/une agence bancaire

Bank card: une carte bancaire

Bank card is immediately debited: Débit Immédiat

Bank check: un chèque de banque

Bank statement: le relevé de compte

Bank teller: le caissier/la caissiere

Bank/wire transfer: un virement bancaire

Beneficiary: le bénéficiaire

Bounced check: un chèque sans provision

Cash: du liquide / or/ en éspèces (funds in cash)

Checking account: un compte-chèques

Check: un chèque

Check book: un carnet de chèques / un chéquier

Commission on receipt of international funds: Rapatriement Currency

Credit: le crédit
Credit card: une carte de crédit

(to) Credit an account: approvisionner

(to) Credit an account/make a deposit: Déposer (de l’argent)

Currency: les devises / la monnaie étrangère /  la monnaie
Cancellation of payment: une opposition

Date account is debited or credited: la date de valeur

Date of transaction: la date d’opération
Debit: débit
Deferred credit on a card: Débit différé (more commonly used than a credit card)
Deposit (for a loan or mortgage): l’apport (m)

Deposit/to deposit funds: un depot/ verser des fonds

Details of a bill or loan:  l’échéancier (m)
Direct debit essential for setting up your utilities: un prélèvement automatique

 

Endorse a check: Endosser un chèque

Exchange bureau: un bureau de change

Expiration date: la date d’expiration

Exchange rate: le cours du change / le taux de change

Guarnatee: la caution

Fees: les frais

IBAN: (International Bank Account Number) Letters and numbers that identify a bank account for international transfers

Interest rate: le taux d’intérêt

Interest paid (on a loan or overdraft): agios (m,p)

Investment: un placement

Joint account: un compte joint

Loan: un prêt
Monthly repayment schedule: Tableau d’amortissement

Monthly payment or repayment: mensualité

Mortgage: crédit hypothécaire

Notice to third party holder: Avis à Tiers Détenteur

Overdrawn account: Commission de compte débiteur

Overdrawn/Overdraft: Découver

PIN number: le code personnel/confidentiel

Receipt slip: Avis d’opération

Reimbursement: Remboursement

RIB: (Relevé d’Identité Bancaire) your French account details, to make transfers directly into your French account

(a) Safe: le coffre-fort

(to) Save: economiser

Savings account: un compte d’épargne

Secured loan: prêt garanti

Seizure of funds: une Saisie Attribution

Tax: impôt (m,p)

TIP:  (Titre Interbancaire de Paiement) can be signed by the account holder in order to give permission to directly debit his/her account the amount requested by the company. This is used very often to pay bills that need to be paid regularly

Travellers Check: un cheque de voyage
Valid: valable

Vault: la chambre forte

Withdraw money: Retirer (de l’argent)

Wire transfer: un virement bancaire