The ParisSharing Blog

Archive for July, 2010

This is not just an ordinary helicopter ride over the world’s most visited city, it is a stunning production that squeezes out ever more emotion from those same monuments we have seen a hundred times. Yann Arthus-Bertrand, the world-renowned photographer who has already published a book on Paris seen from the sky, offers you spectacular takes in this most recent video. Mostly filmed at dawn and dusk, the lighting effects are magical. Paris is, among other things, living geometry. Don’t tune out before you make it to the Château de Versailles at the end !

Paris vu du Ciel de Yann Arthus-Bertrand
envoyé par mairiedeparis. – L’info internationale vidéo.

You’ve certainly heard of visiting Paris by boat, by bus, by bike….but what about by BUBBLE ? This extraordinarily modern means of transportation is available for a limited time only (1963 was the last and only trip!) for fashion models only. Well, the rest of us can marvel over the entire bubble series by Melvin Sokolsky for Harper’s Magazine. There is something astonishingly contemporary about them.

I would even venture to say that bubbles have, of late, been appearing in the most unusual ways. Take, for examples, this recent photo of bubble-mobiles at the Hôtel de Ville,  the mysterious Beaubourg bubble, and the unique bubble event in the Grand Palais.

Sign of the times?

For those of you keen on bubble-like transportation in Paris, you might consider these bubble mobiles (in French, cyclobulles).

Paris has much to boast when it comes to Monet. The Musée Marmottan features many of his works, the Nymphéas with their own rooms at l’Orangerie and of course Giverny, which is only an hour away by train. Beginning September 2010, Paris will be outdoing itself for Monet with the largest exhibition in thirty years, organized by the associated national museums and the musée d’Orsay.

The event will be hosted in the Grand Palais, as was the previous one in 1980. Since then much research has been done about the artist, bringing to light many lesser known aspects of his work. The exhibition will showcase Monet’s entire career which started in 1860 (60 years of painting!) and his evolution from a young, rather traditional artist to his emergence as an impressionist verging on the abstract.

The retrospective at the Grand Palais – containing nearly two hundred Monet pieces – juxtaposes famous and lesser known works, offering you a new take on Monet as an extraordinarily modern artist (after all, he died only 84 years ago!).

The Paris Claude Monet exhibition is held in the Galeries nationales at the Grand Palais from 22nd September – 24th January 2011. Open every day except Tuesdays and Xmas day from 9am – 8pm (last ticket). Admission 13€ / 9€. A joint ticket with the Orangerie is also available for 19€.
Guided visits (90 minutes, 9€) and kids workshops (2 hours in all, with a special guided visit, 10€) are also available.
Official Grand Palais site: www.grandpalais.fr

This month is the 3 year anniversary of Vélib’, the Paris public bike-sharing program that has totaled 80 million trips to date. Bike-sharing is no longer an odd practice for green-minded Scandinavians, but a transformation in the way we live in and experience cities.

The next big thing from Paris may be…fashion-sharing! In French, prêt-à-louer. Somewhat inspired by the bike-sharing concept, this new trend has been launched by a flamboyant and frenchified  Brit, Candy Miller, with her “Paperdolls” concept.  The Parisian press is buzzing about her, and this month not only marks her birthday, but also her first big sales event. Go Candy !

What is fashion-sharing? It’s all about getting to wear the latest fashion by young and up-coming designers, without having to make a major investment. For 15% to 30% of the sales price, you can take away a smashing summer dress from a week-end up to a month. When you’re finished and ready to try out something new, just return the article to the shop. If you just can’t bear to part with it, then you’re welcome to pay the remaining amount and keep if forever.

Did you need an excuse to spend next week in Paris? The big sale is on this Sunday, July 25th at the Espace des Créateurs, rue de Commines in the 3rd arrondissement. Keep your cash for clothes and stay in a bargain apartment, like this one near Ménilmontant. Several other apartments are also still available for the period on Paris-Sharing.

Sign-up for the sales event and keep up with Paperdolls on Facebook.

Paperdolls features several young designers, such as Suzon & Léna and Pampa & Pop. I wonder where Emily Blunt procured her mini-skirt for the recent film “Wild Target” (Petit Meurtre à l’anglaise).

Oh, and if you’re still left wondering about Paris bike-sharing, you can watch a video here :

How to use Velib

Many have written to me in alarm over the recent New York Times article about the apartment rental crack-down in Paris.  Paris-Sharing.com is not directly concerned by these measures, and this is a good opportunity to explain why.

The price of real estate in Paris has skyrocketed over the past decade, making it increasingly difficult for Paris residents to live in the city. One of the many causes of this price inflation is the influx of foreign buyers, many of whom use their property only as a pied à terre that is employed most of the year to generate vacation rental income. This practice reduces the supply of available housing for Parisians, and that is the problem that the city of Paris is trying to address.

Paris-Sharing.com is focused on a different clientèle. Our approach is to allow Parisians to rent or exchange their primary home while they are away. With six weeks of legal vacation, higher than average incomes, and an incessant need to seek out the southern sunshine, more than 10% of Paris home owners are away on any given day in the year, with more than half leaving during the month of August.

Offering Paris residents the opportunity to rent/exchange their primary homes has no negative effect whatsoever on the market for available housing.  As stated in the NY Times article “The main target…is owners who are making these rentals into a permanent activity, diverting residential property from its essential function as housing for Parisians. Someone who rents occasionally will not be prosecuted.”

Renting or exchanging one’s primary home is a practice that benefits all. The tourist gains access to a real home with all of its amenities at a low cost. The owner earns addition income that helps offset the cost of travel, and in some cases serves as means to make ends meet.  Beyond these practical considerations, I am a believer in the value of the human and cultural experience that renting or exchanging one’s home can bring. It is that belief that underlies our philosophy at Paris-Sharing.com.

So, don’t let these measures get you down! You will always be able to travel to Paris and stay in a furnished apartment. While you’re at it, why not experience a real Parisian home thanks to Paris-Sharing.com? Whatever your choice, you may want to have a look at some guidelines for avoiding bad surprises with rental agencies.

A real home, available for vacation rental on Paris-Sharing.com