I just proved it’s possible to walk through a large section of Paris without seeing a single Haussmanian building. That is, the architectural style that embodies the city: cream-colored stone, grilled balcony railings, ornate decorations. This wasn’t Francie’s and my...
He sleeps surrounded by gilded artwork. The remnants of his power are all around: his minions nearby, the names of the battles he fought posted everywhere. A golden statue, right arm raised, depicts him in regal fashion. An enormous triumphal arch commissioned by him...
I like to explore the outer edges of Paris to see the new, the modern, the unexpected. Walking along the Canal de l’Ourcq gave me that, and also some Paris history. The canal starts in the 19th arrondissement at Bassin de la Villette, which collected water from the...
I knew as soon as I saw the apartment that we should buy it. Not because of how it looked. It was nice enough, but needed a total redo of the space. What really sold me was what I saw out the window. Across the way, a woman was doing calisthenics–on her balcony....
Anyone who thinks Paris is nothing but broad boulevards, cream-colored stone buildings and iron-filigree balconies should visit the rue Fortuny. It’s a small street in the 17th arrondissement, north of the Etoile, running between the avenue de Villiers and the rue de...
On a lovely fall day, I set out from my 17th-arrondissement apartment and headed north. It’s a walk I’ve done many times before. This is where Paris ends and another world begins—of low-income housing mixed in with glass office buildings, of covered markets and...
