Parisian Guide

An American in Paris

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Building a New Life in Paris with Stephen Heiner

We had a chat with Stephen, a Singaporean-born California native who moved to Paris four years ago.  Admittedly curious and intrepid, he pursued his dream of living in Paris and has not looked back since. 

Having built and sold a test prep and tutoring firm, he is now doing what he loves by running several smaller business and sharing his passion for his new city with Paris Foot Walks or helping English speakers find their ideal home in the city of lights.

What made you move to a new city and why did you choose the French capital?

This was less a move to a “new city” than a move to my dream city.  I think Paris is the most beautiful city in the world.

How would you contrast Paris and Singapore ?

They are very different.  Singapore is very much defined by an authoritarian government that doesn’t allow for dissent in the press, and they are nimble, entrepreneurially minded, and focused on reaching out to the world.  Paris is within the EU, with its own set of evolving challenges regarding autonomy, lawmaking, and business-friendly practices.  They both have fantastic food cultures and attract people from all over the world.

What was the first Parisian thing you fell in love with?

I just enjoy the willingness to stop and enjoy life – whether that’s taking a photo, sipping a coffee, or that unexpected conversation with a friend or neighbor. 

Name one habit that you’ve picked up in your new hometown.  

Because of the UGC pass, I see movies in the theaters more regularly than I used to.

What have you found to be the best form of exercise?  

The walking that is part of my daily routine.

What touristy thing would you love to do but haven’t yet?

I have been meaning to take a tour of Garnier, but haven’t.  I will this December.  I did make it to an Opera, but at the new building, in Bastille.

How did you cope with homesickness?

I would have to be homesick in order to cope with it.  Have not been, never will be.  My home is here. 

What are the main difficulties you encountered in the adjustment process? And how did you overcome these?

The fact that there is very little anglo help for many things you need to know – I sought out resources and asked friends.

How did you deal with the language barrier?

I took French classes to get to a basic level of conversation, but there’s a LOT of English spoken here.

side of the pompidou

How did you go about building a community of friends in a new city?

I used technology – apps like Meetup and Shapr – but I simply selected the most interesting and fun people from events I went to and started creating events with them.

What were the best and worst things that you discovered?

The worst thing was the French bureaucracy – but even that wasn’t so bad once you figured out the “code.”  The best things are still being discovered, but are always variations on the same themes – good places to have coffee or eat, places to sit and watch or read, museums to visit, day trips to take.

What do you know now that you wish you knew before you moved?

That it would take a very very long time to get settled and to be okay with the adjustment, and that I needed to be patient in my progress in French.

Where can one find the best French food in Paris?

If you define “best” by Michelin stars I’m afraid I haven’t been to too many of those here in the capital.  If you mean “best” by delicious and unassuming, I might suggest Boulettes on Rue St Denis for lunch and Jeanne B in Montmartre for dinner. 

You have a very important guest coming over and you have to take him or her to somewhere quintessentially Parisian. What’s the first place that comes to mind?

I’ll usually stop at a choux pastry shop like Odette or Popelini to get them warmed up, but the view of Notre Dame in wintertime from the Shakespeare and Company coffee shop is hard to top, and there’s good energy around that area.

Would you mind sharing some of your favorite places?

Hotel Amour, for lunch or for coffee.  The courtyard at the Bristol Hotel.  Rue Mouffetard, anytime.  La Cambodge for dinner.  Holybelly for breakfast.  I’m at the Louvre and Orsay fairly regularly as well. 

Louvre

The Louvre

 

What should expats know about the locals?

They are so much more fun and polite than their reputation. 

Can you name a fellow Parisian you’d love to share a drink with?

Anais Demoustier.  But unlikely she’d take me up on that. 

What advice would you give to someone planning a move to Paris?

Do a scouting trip here first – look for apartments, figure out how your money situation will be arranged, and try to make friends

What are five tips you would have for future expats?

1) get your housing settled before you move here

2) Do an exploratory trip of at least two weeks before you move here.  It will help you deal with tip #1 and possibly can help you find acquaintances who may end up being great help to you.

3) Study as much French as you can.

4) Get rid of as much stuff as you can.  Rather than pay to store, be happy for the opportunity to minimize.

5) Don’t try to replicate your life from your previous home here.  In the case of Americans, leave the salsa, hot sauce, and other parts of your life behind.  You’ll appreciate those things all the more when you go back to visit.

You’re surviving on your last 30 euros. How would you spend it?

Chocolate, bread, coffee.

croissant cropped

IF YOU MUST PICK ONE…

Escargot or Frog’s legs?

I don’t find either to be particularly “French” but I suppose frog’s legs.

Holidays in the Alps or French seaside?

Alps, pas de question.

A trip to the museum or a day at the park?

Ah, I’d go to Fontainebleau or Vaux-le-Vicomte and get both.

A glass of red or white?

I’ll get killed for saying this, but I’ve really been enjoying rosé lately.

Tell us briefly about your personal blog?

It’s my Paris story – originally heavy on immigration dos and donts, it’s become a much more sprawling tale.

How would you typically spend your weekend? Any ‘bonne adress‘ you’d like to share?

Because I own my own business, “weekends” don’t have the same feeling as for others who perhaps work Lun-Ven, but I often enjoy attending book clubs or museums with friends, going out to films or dinners, or just having a quiet dinner party with a few people.  I am also a watch enthusiast and a great place to get your watch fixed is in the Passage Havre near Gare Saint-Lazare.  The address for it and a few other “expat resources” I’ve compiled is here: https://www.yelp.com/list/paris-expat-resources-paris

 

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