The truth about living in Paris a thread! *tea*

So, why do I feel entitled to “expose” Paris? Well, I’ve been there multiple times as a tourist, and one of my best friends has been living there as a Parisian citizen for over 3 years. So that’s two points of view!

* Remember these are my friend’s and I’s experiences and opinions, and you may feel completely different about Paris! You can share your opinion at the end of this thread. I don’t intend to offend anyone.

• The money: Paris is VERY expensive. If you want to live within the city center (or close to it), you have 2 options: pay less to live in a matchbox, or pay an incredible amount of money for just a little more space.

• Many of the apartments are actually interior (views are still great!), but they don’t get the amazing street views or much sunlight. Some may just have 1 tiny window. My friend lives in one of these and she says it can get claustrophobic at times. She pays 700€ for about 9m2.

• Groceries are expensive too! Also, not many big supermarkets to choose from in the center. “Common” shops and restaurants like Zara or McDonald’s are also more expensive in Paris just because it’s Paris.

• The architecture of the city is breathtaking. Paris has this mysterious and nostalgic aura to it that I love. But it’s not very clean! And you may find a couple of rats here and there.

• Most restaurants are tourist traps and they’re highly overpriced. People these days pay whatever to get a good instagram picture (and for sure do it if you’re visiting as a tourist!), but if you’re actually living there...going out to eat often isn’t a realistic possibility.

• People are always in a rush. We’ve both noticed that Parisians are always in a rush (or they pretend to be). I’d advise you not to ask them for directions; they’re so unbothered they’d literally point you towards the opposite direction just to be left alone quickly.

• Also, something I dislike about Paris is that people always judge you and your clothes. You can’t run to the shops in your sweats - people will side-eye you! You don’t have to be wearing high end clothes all the time, but you have to look presentable when leaving the house.

• People *generally* judge you too much based on your looks, so making friends can be difficult. If you don’t speak fluent French, natives may not want to speak to you just because they don’t want to bother with the language. They’re generally very private.

• As I said, they don’t bother with the language. So, if you don’t speak French very well or if you don’t understand something, they generally won’t adapt to make things easier (in the streets,shops,university). Some may even point out that you don’t sound “French” or “Parisian”

•My friend doesn’t really think Paris is a city where one‘d want to stay forever. Not just because it’s very expensive, but also because life is so busy and agitated that it wears you off after a while. She recommends living there for at least a year to get the full experience.