Paris vs. New York (Do I Have to Choose?)
I rarely write about my New York life—not because I don’t love it, but because I live here most of the time, and take it for granted, I suppose. But […]
Tag Archives: Paris
Christmas in Paris Next Year?
I just spent a wonderful Christmas with my sister in Florida. Eighty degrees but still Christmas-y. This was the first year since mom died that I felt the holiday spirit […]
O (Tiny Parisian) Christmas Tree
My apartment in Paris is a third of the size of my New York apartment. At only 258 square feet, or 24 square meters, there is not a sliver of […]
La Cuisine Parisienne: Chic and (Kinda) Cheap
I’ve spent the better part of the last four months researching kitchen designs for my on-again-off-again-(maybe)-on-again renovation project in my Paris place. What I’ve discovered: high style comes at low […]
Renovation Chez Moi? I’m In Deep, Baby.
A potential television opportunity documenting my heretofore postponed kitchen renovation had revived the project—and put it into overdrive. In order to be considered for the show, I’d have to supply […]
So You Want to Buy a Place in Paris?
Updated 9/4/2018 Think you’re ready to buy an apartment in Paris? Before you take the plunge, you might want to take this quiz: Am I Ready for a Pied-à-Terre […]
Paris Pick-Me-Up
Sometimes I think my mom’s on vacation. Or it’s just been a while since I’ve connected. I itch to ring her and say, “Hey, let’s catch up. Got so much […]
Ou est le Feu?
These things always happen just when I’m about to leave Paris. In August, it was a flood in my bathroom. This trip? Fire. On the morning of my departure to […]
(Parisian) Life, Interrupted
I’ve just returned from a brief stay in my Paris place, hence the silence. Seems I only write about my Paris life when I’m in New York. Maybe that’s how […]
With This Key, Responsibility
After several stays in my new pied-à-terre, something has occurred to me: my trips to Paris have ceased to be vacations. This is to say, I’m no longer truly unplugging. […]
Change of Ownership
On March 17th, I celebrated one year since I found my Paris apartment. It would take three months before I took ownership officially, but it felt like mine from the […]
Lisa’s ‘Hood
While exploring my new neighborhood, I came across a shop that stopped me in my tracks. I whipped out my iPhone to snap a shot. The sign, written in English […]
The Housewarming
La pendaison de crémaillère: the hanging of the iron rack thingie that suspends the cooking pot over the fire. It’s the French version of the word, “housewarming.” In centuries past, […]
Yes, This is Paris
When most people invest in a pied-à-terre in Paris, they settle in the central part of the city—the chic 6th or 7th arrondissements, or the trendy Marais—where resale values will […]
A Tale of Two Cities
Today, in the subway station in Rockefeller Center, I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out two objects: my New York MetroCard, and a ticket for the Paris Métro. […]
Paris Au Beurre
The original tagline of my blog was: I Got an Apartment in Paris So I Could Buy the Butter. This is not me being clever; it’s the deep-down, primal, driving […]
Under Water (Part Deux)
During my first stay in my new Paris apartment, my main water pipe, located in my bathroom, sprang a leak. My contractor, who was on vacation, left it to me […]
The Homecoming
[Note: This post had been unpublished while we filmed House Hunters International. I’ve recently republished it.] I hadn’t seen the apartment since June, when it was covered in an inch […]
Leaving Left, Turning Right
A creature of habit, I stayed in the same hotel in the Left Bank every time I visited Paris. I grew very attached to the quartier, and to the hotel staff […]
Les Soldes? I’m Sold!
I’d just arrived in Paris to oversee the renovation of my apartment and was profoundly jet-lagged. I threw myself on a bed, my limbs heavy, my head fuzzy. “Moins 30%” read the […]
Feathering My Nest (Fearlessly in French)
I’m looking for a classic fauteuil to go with my chic canapé clic-clic, and a stylish tapis to tie it all together. A what, you say? Yeah, that’s how I felt, too. Then there […]
Meant to Be
“Did you find the apartment—or did the apartment find you?” a friend asked me when I broke the news I’d made an offer on a place in Paris. In truth, the […]
My (Parttime) Paris Life 