Un appartement!

We are TOTALLY thrilled! We have found an apartment that we LIKE in Paris! I have been looking for apartments since December. We came out in April and saw a few places but they didn't pan out. Sean and I have both been obsessing for months- late nights on the internet checking things out. We almost had a couple of different apartments rented, but for one reason or another, it didn't work out.



We arrived last week and I've been looking harder than ever. I stay up late at night, I get up early in the morning. I search all the usuals- Parisattitude, Paristay, Lodgis, Parispromo, etc. Not to mention Craig's list and VRBO. But there has been nothing that is near school, that is big enough, that comes furnished. I have to admit, I was getting a bit depressed. I didn't want to move here, only to have to schlep the kids across town on the underground train, or to stay in a skanky place.



So yesterday morning, I woke up and saw a new listing on Lodgis. It was near school, and the photos of the apartment looked nice, and it was in our price range. I called Lodgis, and they said I need to come in and sign a paper before they set up an appointment to see the apartment. So I take a couple metros to their office and sign the papers. I signed 4 papers in order to see 4 different apartments. I'm desperate. I'm asking to see apartments that are nowhere near school just because I liked them. The kids will get to school somehow, I thought.



A very helpful agent named Pamela said she could set up an appointment at 4:00 for the apartment on Villiers (the one I saw this morning which IS actually near the kids school.) "Parfait," I say as she confirms with the owner.



We leave our apartment an hour early in order to get there early and check out the neighborhood. We walk quickly as the kids scooter on their Razors. We get to the neighborhood, and it's lovely. Nice wide sidewalks, park nearby, and the school is even closer than we think. As we sit on the bench out front waiting for the "proprietaire" to show us his apartment, I can't stop saying to Sean, "THis is it, I think we're gonna love it!"



We meet Monsieur L. and he is the nicest French man I've met to date. He explains how his family just moved out from the apartment for a bigger one (three kids). He's never been a landlord and they're going to try it out. The kids didn't want to let go of their old home, so they decided to keep it and rent it out. There's good family karma here. And we're going to be their first renters!



It's bright and spacious (for a Parisian apartment), and has three bedrooms. So family and friends- plan that trip! It is truly a weight off of our shoulders to have a nice apartment that is close to school. And Monsieur L. will be a very helpful landlord. He will set up the electric and internet for us in our names.



I didn't realize how hard it would be to find a suitable apartment- we are psyched to have ours! We move in next week.