Residential real estate, by arrondissement

Realtors are everywhere in Paris, just as they are in Sanibel.  Here, the realtors occupy storefront spaces and routinely advertise their listings by posting them in the windows.  Window shopping for real estate is possible; we do it frequently.  Very frequently.  After all, Tom and I renovated over 14 houses in our collective pasts.  We have owned five properties in Sanibel alone.  Paris always tempts us, but we've resisted the urge to buy so far.

Haussmannian uilding on the Rue Monttessuy.

As I was walking briskly along the Rue de Grenelle in the 7th arrondissement yesterday, my peripheral vision caught sight of a listing that grabbed my attention.  The building pictured was a classic Haussmannian, and it was located on Rue Monttessuy, in the northern reach of the 7th.

I turned around and headed up the Avenue de la Bourdonnais to check it out.

Along the way, I had to stop in front of a quaint bookshop located next to one of the souvenir shops that dot the commercial landscape in that area, which is very near the Eiffel Tower.  The bookshop, closed on Sunday, appears to be from another era, and its façade features a big section of a huge map of Paris that we've seen before -- in an apartment belonging to a couple friends in the 6th arrondissement.

Bookshop on the Avenue de la Bourdonnais.  The middle panel of the façade
features a copy of a section of a huge illustrated map of Paris from a bygone era.

This illustrated map is one of those birds-eye views, seemingly showing each individual building in the vast city.  The map illustrates a Paris of another era, before many of the surrounding villages were annexed to the metropolis in 1860.

Our friends who own one of these enormous maps are worried that something will happen to it, and that it is irreplaceable because they cannot find another one.  They've looked.  A few years ago, I looked, too.  I found nothing like it.

But this bookstore on the Avenue de la Bourdonnais seems to have had access to one.  Tom and I will try to visit the bookshop tomorrow afternoon, when we go to the American Library, nearby.  But we may find that the bookshop is closed until late August, as many enterprises are.  This is the slowest week of the year, the week of the Feast of the Assumption -- August 15.  I love this laid-back time, when Paris relaxes because the Parisians are away on vacation.

Plenty of places are open through August, however.  When I reached Avenue de Monttessuy, I saw that Firmin le Barbier, an excellent bistrot, is one of those places.  We will dine there soon.

I found the building with the apartment for sale, but there is no real estate for sale sign on it; that may be because the building's owners don't allow such signs.

Here's a translation of what the attractive listing states: 
Stone building, 4th floor with elevator.  Apartment of 54 square meters (581 square feet) of living space on a pretty interior courtyard.  Entryway.  Beautiful living room with hardwood floor and decorative moldings.  Southeastern exposure.  Equipped kitchen.  2 bedrooms.  Bathroom.  Toilet room.  Cabinets.  Basement storage room.  Very light and quiet.  Nearby businesses, schools, public transport.  Very good floor plan without wasted space.  Good condition.  Annual charges for the association 2229 euros.  Exclusive listing.

All listings are exclusive because there is no MLS (Multiple Listing Service) in France.  That makes house hunting a challenge.

Today's NYTimes has an article about househunting and real estate prices in Paris.  Don't believe it.  Tom and I read and discussed the assertions in this article, and we find many of them to be false.  The only example given in the article is a very odd one:  a houseboat.  No land at all!  Just a floating mobile home.

We do not think that real estate prices are rising dramatically in Paris.  If anything, last year we detected a bit of a decrease.  We also do not believe that half of the buyers in recent years have been foreigners.  We think that much of what is described in the article may be true of the 6th and 8th arrondissements, but not so true of the rest of Paris.

The place for sale on Rue Monttessuy alas is a bit too small for us.  We would probably need to have 80 to 90 square meters, partly because we are working at the computers for much of the day during most of the time that we're here.  Also because Tom is a light sleeper.  We need the elbow room, and the room to move around.  Plus, if we bought a place, I'd want to have a good kitchen -- what the French call a cuisine Americaine.  I do love to cook.

The place on Rue de Monttessuy is expensive for such a small apartment -- albeit, a 2-bedroom.  It is priced at 795,000 euros, which is 14,722 euros per square meter.

In the 15th, I am sure we could find an 80 square meter apartment for 800,000 euros, or 10,000 euros per square meter.

While this would be more expensive than the 19th arrondissement (8,000 euros per square meter), we would find the 15th to be more to our liking; we are left bank people.  Also, property taxes are lower in the 15th because of the size and amount of commercial and business properties that bolster the tax base.

Back of a truck parked by the Champ de Mars:  "Don't honk at me!  I am a butcher."

So, while the 7th is tempting, the costs there are higher and face it, with the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides, the 7th has too many tourists.  The same is true of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 18th (Montmartre).

That leaves the 16th, 17th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 19th and 20th on the right bank.  But there is probably too much crime in the 19th, and 20th.  On the left bank, the 15th, 14th, and 13th arrondissements seem to us to be the most liveable.  And again, the 15th would be our first choice because of value and quality of life.

A table at Le Tipaza on Rue Saint Charles.

I know I will probably get some negative reactions from those who prefer other parts of Paris, but residential real estate is a very personal choice.  We like what we like.

Last night, we dined at Le Tipaza on Rue Saint Charles, in one of my preferred neighborhoods of the 15th.  The Rue Saint Charles is an old-fashioned, leafy commercial street.  On Tuesdays and Fridays, several blocks of this street offer an open-air market that is loaded with good values.

Crystal chandeliers light up Le Tipaza.

Le Tipaza offers good value, too, but with more than a touch of elegance.  There you can still find white linen tablecloths and real napkins.  The decorative, molded plaster walls are beautiful, as is the tile work.  Crystal chandeliers light the ceilings, and the service is impeccable.  Le Tipaza is always open on Sundays and holidays, too, so it is perfect for gatherings of family and friends on holidays and special occasions.

For hot evenings, we recommend dining way back in the restaurant, which is air conditioned.  But last night was cool, so we dined in the open front room of that convivial spot.  It was a lovely way to end the day.

Decorative plaster wall in Le Tipaza.