Welcome in Paris

You are in the process of settling down in Paris but it looks like it is not going to be an easy task.
If one day you depart, we feel certain that you will have learned to appreciate the city and, as much as it seems incredible today, its inhabitants.
Our assignment is to assist you in choosing the arrondissement where to live, finding your housing, closing all the administrative contracts, in brief to allowing you to settle comfortably in your new home.
We also wish to help you better understand the Parisians, their way of life, and the cultural environment, which certainly will be very different from the one you are used to.
We hope that the following few tips will be useful in selecting your future living environment.
General Points
Life is usually considered to be good in Paris, ìthe City of lights its history is rich and its urban development has been carried on through the centuries. In the 19th century, Baron Haussman gave a more modern dimension to some areas in Paris. However, concrete has not covered Paris completely and there are still many parks and public gardens.
Even though, like in all large cities, driving might not be easy due to heavy traffic flow and difficult parking, means of public transportations either by bus or metro are safe, clean and effective. Tickets, the same for buses and subway, are sold in subway stations or at tobacconists.
As for taxis, subscriptions and special options are available, which makes it possible to get a taxi at any time, even in heavy traffic conditions.
Parisian climate is considered to be Atlantic: the weather is neither freezing in winter (it seldom snows) nor hot in summer. The sky of Ile-de-France (Paris and the surrounding area) is typically blue with white clouds. Some say it looks like sheep grazing in the sky.

The arrondissements (Parisian districts)
Paris is made up of 20 districts that coil up around the Seine River in the shape of a snail. The river, runs through the middle of the city and is also the starting point for street numbers.
The following overview, may give you a good approach until you acquire a deeper knowledge in specialized books
The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th arrondissements constitute the embryonic core of the old city which
was founded on the ìIle de la Citei and called in former times ìlutetia.
These districts are not really residential but rather for business and tourism.
Of course there are exceptions like the Marais, a trendy area where more and more people chose to locate.
The 5th, 6th and 7th arrondissements are located on the left bank where the 20th century cultural and artistic trends originated and made the reputation of the left bank all around the world. The main publishers, as well as some of the mythic figures of the intellectual life in Paris, are found here.
These districts are very charming: the hustle and bustle of some avenues often give way to the peacefulness of a square or a block of buildings, where you might feel like you were in a small village.
This is especially true for the 7th arrondissement. Although many government agencies are located there, it is a very quiet residential area. Be aware that it is also one of the most expensive Parisian districts for real estate.
The 8th arrondissement, brings us back to the right bank and a well-known business district the Champs Elyses. It is considered to be a very prestigious location, with luxurious apartments as well as more moderately priced ones.
The 9th arrondissement is where many office buildings and department stores are located. Traffic is very heavy during the daytime and scarce at night.
The 10th, 11th and 12th arrondissements are typical districts of Paris, with small shops and both middle class and blue-collar housing. Their look is changing though, due to important renovation efforts.
The 13th arrondissement is well known for its Chinatown, between place díItalie and Porte de Choisy. This area is divided between bourgeois buildings from the beginning of the last century where it borders the 5th district, and skyscrapers on the boulevards Les Marechaux (they are the avenues bordering Paris all around and so called because they all bear the name of French Marshals).
The 14th and 15th arrondissements are very quiet residential and shopping districts, where people of all ages have settled. The 15th is also the largest arrondissement in Paris.
The 16th arrondissement is a posh residential area, where, for instance the avenue Foch, well-known figures of the artistic scene live. Many embassies and consulates are also located there. It is basicallya quiet residential area.
The 17th arrondissement is split in two, one side being office and very bourgeois buildings, the other, more popular, where Pigalleís nightclubs are located.
Finally the last three arrondissements - the 18th, 19th and 20th - are quite old and blue collar districts, which shelter however quiet and pleasant areas, as well as tourist attractions like the Church of the Sacred Heart of Montmatre.
During strolls and drives you take in Paris, you might find one day the street or the block where you absolutely want to live for the rest of your life. It will be love at first sight for a remote spot never mentioned in a guidebook.
Coming down to hard reality, it is important to know that currently real-estate demand for both rentals and sales, is very high in Paris, In this context of relative shortage, it is essential to react very rapidly when you find accommodations you like.
A few old apartments have a fully equipped kitchen but most of them are empty except for a sink. Leases are signed for three or six years, depending whether an individual or an institution owns them. However, the tenant can terminate a lease at any time with three months notice by sending a certified letter to the owner. It is mandatory to insure your housing accommodation even before you move in; the contract name is ìmultirisques habitation.Daily life
At long last you have settled It is time to get acquainted with the shops located in your area. Generally almost all Parisian districts have small shops, bakeries, pharmacies, newspaper stands. Also small grocery stores generally run by North Africans are open until 10h00 or 11h00 p.m. at night.
Of course, the latter are more expensive than the larger grocery stores, but how convenient is to be able to buy some food even late at night.
Usually bakeries are open on Sundays because French people would never think of a Sunday lunch without fresh bread. During the week they are closed on various days
In almost every district, outdoors markets are set up on a given day, Sundays included.
You will be able to choose your favorite fresh vegetables and often fish, meats and prepared dishesfrom abundant displays.
There are flea markets in different areas where you can find the quaint object to put on your fireplace mantel, which will remain a souvenir of this wonderful stay in Paris. Every week L'Officiel des Spectacles and Pariscope will give you the dates of these secondhand or flea markets as well as the program of all activities in the capital. You can get the same kind of information from FUSAC and Time Out, English-language publications freely distributed throughout Paris.
Finally, if you think that your French is poor and use English to make yourself better understood, donít be surprised if you seldom find a person who replies in the language of Shakespeare. It is not that the person wants to be arrogant or impolite; Parisians do not always speak fluent English.
At any rate, being very self-conscious, they may feel uncomfortable.
So now starts your adventure Always try to use the few French words you know; you will always find someone who appreciates your efforts and gives you the information you need.Small Tips
In France, as well as in Europe in general, the 24-hour clock is used for the time. Likewise, the date format used in France is day-month-year.
Whenever an address is mentioned, it is fully written out the French way : number, street name, area code, city name. Paris' arrondissements (districts) are indicated by their area code. Therefore, the 6th arrondissement is referred to as 75006 Paris.
Telephone numbers in France have ten digits. A two-digit area code has been added to the old numbers : 01 for Ile-de-France (the Paris area); 02 for the Northwest; 03 for the Northeast; 04 for the Southeast and Corsica; 05 for the Southwest; 06 for mobile GSM phones and pagers. When calling from France to other countries, dial 00 first, then the country code and telephone number.
Since January 2002 the Euro is the official currency in France, as well as in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Holland and Portugal.
If you still have French Francs, the official rate for 1 Euro is 6,55957. (Commas are used where Anglo-Saxons use periods, and vice versa).