an apartment in Paris

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The little flower shop

Louis Vuitton Center

Biking the Bois

Why you

should visit

Paris in Spring

The Living Room - I added the fabric and Paris Pillows

The Master bedroom

The guest room/office

Across the street a Boulangerie, Bikes and Bank

Rothschild Park and Chateau

The Billancourt Town Hall

For 2 months in the spring of 2019, a time before covid and when Notre Dame ignited, I took an apartment in Paris. Kind of. 

​I had visited Paris many times, but always traveling to or from somewhere for a week or so. I wanted to experience a bit of daily life, settle in and brush up my French. I was researching my book about Daisy Polk, so the perfect excuse to stay for a month+.  Originally I had reserved a two story flat in the Rue de Levis 17th Arr., but that fell through at the last moment, and I found a modern 2 bedroom apartment in Boulogne Billancourt with a large outdoor balcony and real elevator. Unheard of in my price point. Booked! (see the red heart on map)

Technically not Paris but a separate district, it is served by two Metro lines which makes coming and going to anywhere in Paris a breeze. Actually better than many locales inside the center that are only served by one line. This residential village neighbors the 16th Arr. of Paris proper, where I usually love to stay. That village ambiance is what I (and my guests) loved about Boulogne Billancourt. AND ... the bus or train to Versailles is a 20 minute ride from the front door. What's not to love? 

The trade-off for "modern" was charm, but not comfort. I've stayed in the walk-ups and squeezed my bags into elevators that were hardly bigger than a dumbwaiter. I never stay at big hotels, so if this was the compromise, I was pleased. And a quick fun shopping day in the tissue (fabric) shops below Sacre Coeur (I go there everytime ... talk about eye candy!), and I had some pillow covers and a few yards of fabric to cozy-the-place up. 

We also enjoyed bike riding (rental bikes across the street!), being so near the Seine, easy acccess to the Bois de Boulogne park, the Roland-Garros stadium, the Edmond-de-Rothschild park, and the new Louis Vuitton Center. For daily living, I could walk to every store and discovered a delightful nursery around the corner. So charming, I always took guests there to take pictures. 

​Would I stay in Boulogne Billancourt again? Absolutely.

Rue de Levis

Rue de Silly Boulogne Billancourt