Renting in Paris: A Dream Come True for Many

Ah, Paree!

Ever imagine yourself ducking into a Paris bakery to buy warm, crusty bread and flaky croissants to accompany your morning coffee?  Or perhaps you’ve envisioned yourself shopping for cheese, wine, pâté and the freshest produce imaginable at a colorful open-air market on the Left Bank?  If so, you’re not alone. 

I regularly hear from avid Francophiles, most of whom possess a huge passion for Paris.  Many have made it their mission to live like a Parisian for a period of time—that’s to say they have rented apartments in the French capital and have embraced la vie française as if they were a native.  Lately though, more and more occasional travelers to France ask me about renting in Paris.  It seems as though even people that don’t consider themselves overly passionate about Paris share the fantasy of finding themselves living in a more romantic manner than how they live at home.  Staying in your own pied-à-terre is definitely a charming way of experiencing Paris and I sat down and talked about this recently with Glenn Cooper, owner of Rentals in Paris, one of the most reputable companies for renting apartments in Paris.

“It’s a basic dollars and cents equation,” Glenn said.  “You get more space and better value with apartment rentals.”  And here I thought people were primarily motivated by the whole living-like-a-Parisian dream.  Certainly that’s a big part of it, but I was extremely interested to hear what Glenn had to say about the price/quality relationship behind renting in Paris, especially during these challenging times.  I couldn’t help conjuring up images of wonderful pique niques (picnics) that one could organize in their Parisian abode.

“But I wouldn’t necessarily recommend renting a place in Paris for the first-time visitor, “ Glenn added.  “Especially if they need to be taken by the hand.  In that case, it’s better to be in a hotel with a concierge.”  Suddenly I had a flash of one visit to Paris I took with my mom.  We rented a terrific place right off the rue de Buci.  Our most challenging moment came when we had to organize a taxi for an early morning departure.  Thankfully I knew that I had to go to find one at a nearby taxi stand or my mother and I would have been left standing in front of our building for ages with the hope of hailing a passing taxi.  A first-time visitor might not have known such a thing, so you either have to be very well debriefed or more intrepid than your average hotel guest if your maiden voyage to Paris involves a rental.

Glenn suggests taking an apartment in the heart of Paris, and most of his are indeed centrally located and among the nicest you’ll find.  And although a concierge may not be at your beckon call, Glenn does have a very competent team in place that makes sure you’re well received and assisted throughout your stay.

Your fantasy about preparing coq au vin in your own little chez vous in Paris could easily become a reality, perhaps as early as this winter when air fares to Europe typically drop to near-bargain basement levels.

Rentals in Paris, 516-977-3318, www.rentals-paris.com