So I moved to Paris* 1st September 2010. I got my job offer on the 13th July 2010 (I remember this clearly because I got my offer in the morning, and that afternoon I found out about my Uni results. Needless to say that day stuck in my mind forever, and every 13th of the month I feel that I have more luck).
However, I spent three days in August trying to look for an apartment, which was harder than hard. Paris is mainly closed in August, and on top of it being difficult to rent seeing that apartments are scarce and you need a dossier (Employment Contract, Bank Account, ID, etc) I was looking at Craigslist posts as well as agencies.
After encountering many scams, I finally found an apartment which I viewed and accepted. It was in the 5eme and the best/only option I had. I returned a week later to sign the contract, only to be told two weeks before my moving date that they would be taking someone else. Luckily my cheque didn't get cashed but that put me in a bind to find a place within one week, as I was on holiday the last week of Aug. (This story will no doubt be continued in another blog post)
Anyway, one year and one week later I find myself living in the 5eme after all! This picture is where I would have been living
Apartment searching in Paris: Frustrating, Challenging.... an experience
*As the original place in the 5eme Rue du marche des patriarches fell through, I ended up living in Fontenay sous Bois. And since August 2011 I've living in the 5eme, so if we're talking technicalities I've only been in Paris for a month.
I'd still say you were in Paris even if it was Fontenay which is the suburbs but it's still Paris. You worked in the centre of Paris all this time and spent a lot of your time there so.
ReplyDeleteAnd nice 'revenge' of sorts posting the photo of the apartment maybe if someone sees that who knows Paris they will avoid the listing on Craigslist if it ever returns!
Technicalities say that I don't work in Paris either, but you're right most people count Paris suburbs as Paris too.
ReplyDeleteIndirectly helping someone else, paying it forward and all that!