The way Paris looks today owes much to Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, Prefect of the Seine in the mid-19th century. The long, straight boulevards, magnificent open spaces and elegant façades that are everyone’s image of modern Paris arose from the ashes of tortuous medieval alleyways and overcrowded slums. Few houses had running water and disease was […]

Next up in the series by our office manager Faustine Cressot, giving you regular glimpses of the neighborhood around her desk on the rue de Verneuil, is an interview with cabinetmakers Laura and Yvan at the Ebénisterie Tapisserie de la rue de Verneuil.

Ask anyone which monument most symbolizes Paris and the answer is almost certain to be the Eiffel Tower. Since its completion in 1889, the 1,063-foot ‘Iron Lady’ has dominated the skyline of the City of Light and drawn millions of visitors. Not everyone appreciated Gustave Eiffel’s masterpiece at the time but now it’s one of […]

This elegant 4 bedroom Haussmanian corner apartment with high ceilings (12 ft.) overlooks the bell tower of the newly renovated Gare de Lyon in Paris’ 12th arrondissement. On the first floor with elevator of a well maintained 19th century building with concierge, a wide gallery runs the length of the apartment.  The spacious living room faces south […]

The city of Paris and the Paris Region Lab have announced the selection of 30 projects that the city will fund under the Vegetation Innovations Initiative launched in March of this year. The Paris Region Lab is an association created by the city of Paris, whose mission is to promote creative and innovative public and private […]

Dolly Daou refinds Paris in her new Melbourne home.  Despite living in Australia most of my life, my francophone origins have meant that Paris has always held a special place for me. In 2007, finally catching my first glimpse of Paris from the air, I thought to myself, “this is home”.

Question: How did Haussmann pay for the renovation of Paris? Answer: I had to go to Wikipedia for this one because I didn’t know. After all things were not in good shape after the revolution! Wikipedia says Napoleon III, and engineers such as Michel Chevalier or entrepreneurs like the Pereire brothers, believed that

There comes a time in every love affair when you look beyond the charm and the beautiful face and learn whether the real substance is there.  With Paris there is always more to learn. Paris is a collection of villages, each with it’s own charm, personality and history.  Once you’ve discovered this Paris you’ll never […]