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11. Living in Paris

Paris at a Glance

Living in Paris

Living in Paris provides expats with lots of culture and leisure activities.

Today, fewer people are still living in Paris than in 1921, when the city reached a historical peak of 2.9 million inhabitants. Eventually, people living in Paris started to move to the suburbs, and population figures were in steady decline. Only recently, in 2005, the estimated number of people living in Paris exceeded that of the previous year for the first time since 1954.

On the other hand, an estimated 10.4 million people are currently living in the Paris region. Those living in Paris proper suffer from one of the highest population densities in the world and extortionately high rents. However, people living in Paris can pride themselves on calling one of the world´s leading business centers and cultural capitals their home.

Living in Paris: General Information

The city covers an area of 105 km², divided into 20 administrative boroughs called arrondissements. French citizens living in Paris elect the council of their arrondissement, which then elects the local mayor. The City Council is formed by a selection of local councilors and headed by the Mayor.

While EU nationals living in Paris have the right to participate in municipal elections, all other foreign nationals who have opted for life in Paris have no right to vote. The administration system has been criticized for failing to create an inter-communal entity, thus causing isolation and alienation among citizens living in Paris’s different suburbs.

Life in Paris: Climate

Living in Paris means enjoying a temperate climate influenced both by the Atlantic Ocean in the West and the vast land masses of the continent in the East. Despite recent heat waves with record high temperatures, expats planning a new life in Paris in general don´t need to worry about extremely hot summers or excessively cold winters. In general, weather conditions in this part of France are rather changeable, so the only real constant of life in Paris is rain.

Living in Paris: Culture

Despite the rainy weather, most expats enjoy living in Paris, especially due to its many cultural offerings. The city is famous for its many theaters, and lovers of classical music and dance living in Paris have the choice between the Opéra national de Paris, the Opéra Comique, and many other less well-established stages and companies. A completely different kind of musical performance, which used to enchant theater-goers, is the art of cabaret.

However, former trendy and avant-garde establishments, which tempted an international crowd of artists and bohemians to try a new life in Paris during the inter-war period, are now merely serving the tourist industry. Going to the cinema is a favorite pastime, and there is a wide array of both commercial and art-house cinemas available to cinéastes living in Paris.

Life in Paris: Leisure

Paris is not exactly known for its great outdoor facilities. However, there are 16 public parks, around 80 municipal gardens and squares as well as the two large outlying woodland areas, the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes. Some parks have swimming pools or municipal tennis courts, which can be reserved online on the official website of the Mairie de Paris.

While it seems slightly superfluous to mention that Paris is great for shopping, some people might not be aware that this statement is valid even beyond the realms of fashionable designer boutiques and department stores. Apart from the 82 weekly food markets, there are countless flea markets specializing in various items from old postcard collections to antique and second-hand books, flower markets, arts and crafts markets, and many more. Again, the Mairie de Paris has all the information you need to enjoy a day out shopping at Paris’ markets.