That's our question these days. Today, we went to look at a couple of apartments in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, which is where Gui is working and just southwest of the peripherique. The apartments were both very charming, definitely large enough for us (well, by Parisian standards - I can't believe I once lived in a 1200 sq foot apartment in Austin for half the price it would be in Paris!), and the location of both were very ideal and near lots of transport (including a nearby metro stop). Guillaume didn't see the first apartment, but it had great windows, large rooms, lots of closet space and a mere 3 min walk to the nearest metro. The kitchen and bathroom, however, were a little sub-par and the community space (mainly just the stairwell) was in a complete state of disrepair. And, at a price nearly 100 Euros more expensive than we're comfortable paying, it wasn't looking to be a strong contender.
Guillaume joined us at the second place, which took him only 15 minutes to find from work (a big plus). Aside from the overwhelming scent of turpentine permeating throughout the building (they were repainting the apartment), the place was fairly similar to the last, but quite a bit nicer. It was the same style, nearly the same size, though the rooms seemed very slightly smaller, the kitchen was about a meter longer, and the bathroom was in a much better condition, as well. But, besides one hall/coat closet, there was no closet space whatsoever, the kitchen was still pretty tiny and separate from the living room, and although there was much light coming in, the windows seemed a bit small for the place. Apart from all this, I could actually see myself living there with Gui.
The cool, but weird thing about both of the apartments is that the living room is a closed-off area with its own door and windows, so it provides much privacy if we should have visitors staying with us. The downfall to this, is that it provides for a very closed-off kitchen as well, and that's something I'm a little hesitant about. I love having a place to cook where I can also be involved in what's going on in the living room, especially when we have guests. I've realized after searching around the internet, that I'm going to have to decide if I prefer providing privacy for our visitors or inclusion for the cook. Another thing to consider is that many of these apartments are going to provide either large kitchens and smaller rooms or larger rooms and minuscule kitchens. I'm kind of leaning toward the larger kitchen idea, though. I mean, without a Taco Bell, Wendy's, Chick-fil-a, Whataburger, Maudie's, or Sonic around each corner, I'm pretty much forced to eat McDonald's everyday or cook; and let's be honest, you can only have so many Royales with cheese before dying from overconsumption of flavorless meat.
So, tomorrow's another day. After we pick up 3 cases (yes, that's 18 bottles) of champagne from Auchan, we're going to try to check out a couple more apartments. As I search through location listings, I find myself grinning with disbelief when I type in that my preferred apartment size is between 35 and 45 m² (that's about 375-450 square feet, people!!)!! Such is my life for now, but I'm not complaining. I saw about 5 kids walking home from school today with a tasty baguette tucked under their arms; I could do nothing but smile and thank my lucky stars I get to live here. :)
Guillaume joined us at the second place, which took him only 15 minutes to find from work (a big plus). Aside from the overwhelming scent of turpentine permeating throughout the building (they were repainting the apartment), the place was fairly similar to the last, but quite a bit nicer. It was the same style, nearly the same size, though the rooms seemed very slightly smaller, the kitchen was about a meter longer, and the bathroom was in a much better condition, as well. But, besides one hall/coat closet, there was no closet space whatsoever, the kitchen was still pretty tiny and separate from the living room, and although there was much light coming in, the windows seemed a bit small for the place. Apart from all this, I could actually see myself living there with Gui.
The cool, but weird thing about both of the apartments is that the living room is a closed-off area with its own door and windows, so it provides much privacy if we should have visitors staying with us. The downfall to this, is that it provides for a very closed-off kitchen as well, and that's something I'm a little hesitant about. I love having a place to cook where I can also be involved in what's going on in the living room, especially when we have guests. I've realized after searching around the internet, that I'm going to have to decide if I prefer providing privacy for our visitors or inclusion for the cook. Another thing to consider is that many of these apartments are going to provide either large kitchens and smaller rooms or larger rooms and minuscule kitchens. I'm kind of leaning toward the larger kitchen idea, though. I mean, without a Taco Bell, Wendy's, Chick-fil-a, Whataburger, Maudie's, or Sonic around each corner, I'm pretty much forced to eat McDonald's everyday or cook; and let's be honest, you can only have so many Royales with cheese before dying from overconsumption of flavorless meat.
So, tomorrow's another day. After we pick up 3 cases (yes, that's 18 bottles) of champagne from Auchan, we're going to try to check out a couple more apartments. As I search through location listings, I find myself grinning with disbelief when I type in that my preferred apartment size is between 35 and 45 m² (that's about 375-450 square feet, people!!)!! Such is my life for now, but I'm not complaining. I saw about 5 kids walking home from school today with a tasty baguette tucked under their arms; I could do nothing but smile and thank my lucky stars I get to live here. :)
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larger kitchen yo... if i ever visit- that is where i'm sleeping... and cooking for y'all.
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