For many people in France, Paris is not the ideal location to live. It is known to be the hustling and bustling city, the business hub of the largest organizations in the country, the place where international partnerships happen. It is the large city, where there are millions of people running around at the speed of light, known to have unfriendly waiters and people who are not very personable or friendly. Yet, people come live in Paris because they have more opportunities to start a career or for their education. If you ask anyone in the city where they come from, it is more than likely they have not grown up in Paris but have came here a couple years ago to advance their career.
Despite the negative stereotypes and controversy things about Paris, living in a big city does have its benefits and assets, and for these reasons, I always enjoy immersing myself in a big city. Some of these points can be easily transferable and related to other big cities.
- Great Transportation: If you are looking to fly out or to take a train for a weekend or a week, you always have so many options living in a big city. From airports to trains to buses, it is very likely it would run through Paris as a central location in France, whether that is an international flight, to another country or even to another city in France on trains/ buses!
- Expats Everywhere: The city of romance has always been the dream of many people from all over the world. There’s a large amount of expats living in Paris, whether they have ‘fallen’ in love here, studying abroad, or even like myself, working abroad. Living in a big city gives you an advantage because there are many ways to meet people through social groups such as on Meetup or using a Conversation Exchange website. You can always find someone to relate to your frustrations in the country, to practice French together, or even to just to do a cultural exchange. The best thing about traveling is meeting people from all over the world and to discuss what have brought them here. Even among my students, I found out that some of their parents come from nearby countries in Euorpe - such as Italy, Portugal or even Germany! It’s always so interesting!
- Amazing Food: When you have a target market of expats from all over the world, you gotta have the right food to feed them! Coming from Toronto, I know all about authentic food and Paris has surprised me time after time. A few weeks ago, I found some amazing authentic Taiwanese noodles by the Eiffel Tower and even though there are not many large minority communities, you can still a Chinatown and small Japanese and Korean district in the city. The variety of food may be more spread out and not as easily visible, but if you are looking for a specific type of food, you’ll probably going to find it - just gotta do some researching!
These little things makes it easier for my transition coming from one of the most multicultural cities in the world and verifies I’m definitely a big city girl. Can you relate?
Everyone has a story.
This is mine
I think the weather in Paris would get to me eventually. I would love, absolutely be thrilled, to live in Paris for a year, at most two. Enough to get a taste, a close approximation to what it’s like to be a Parisien, even if for a short time. But then I would miss the wide open spaces of the Australian sky, and the sheer blue brilliance of the Pacific. There are many things that mean home to me, and there are many places I would love to live in, but I still somehow, keep coming back to calling Australia home.
Home is always home, I understand. I always go home back to Canada until I find out where I want to venture off the year after. Paris weather is amazing - but that’s me coming from cold Canada weather! Thx for dropping by!
If I do this program again, I hope to be placed in Paris (though I’ve absolutely loved my time in the Côte d’Azur!)
I’m sure the experience is completely different! I’ve lived in a small town last year and it wasn’t something I’ve enjoyed - however, big cities also have other problems like overcrowding all the time!
I’m also a big city girl but I have never fell in love with Paris. I can’t explain why. Some cities, you feel comfortable right away like if you have been living there forever. I love Toronto, I like NY (even though I wouldn’t live there for practical reasons, including the crazy rental market), I love Sydney, Mexico City, Beijing… but not Paris. I enjoy it as a tourist though, and this is just me.
Maybe as a French “provinciale” I have been brainwashed!😆
That might be it! You’ve heard all the negatives, so you can’t enjoy the positives anymore - but that’s okay! It’s just personal opinion coming from a big city girl! Have you lived in many places before?