Creative Pursuits in Paris!

It is great walking through the streets of Paris, and finding so many people working on creative projects, out in the public spaces. Of course, there is a lot to be inspired by here!

Find a cafe or bar with free WiFi (pronounced "wee-fee" here in France!) to spice up the usual Starbucks visits, and get your creative ideas flowing while having a Happy Hour drink and intellectual discussion with someone at the next table. Or take a walk around with a camera or sketch pad - find some hidden parts of Paris you have not seen before! Look for art installations which can be everywhere, not just in museums or art galleries - I just found one with contemporary sculpture in the cloisters of an old church!

 

Fête de la Musique in Paris!

The Fête de la Musique is an annual event held in Paris since the 1980s, which now occurs throughout Europe, and recently happened in June. During this night, there is free music all throughout the streets of the participating cities. The kinds of music ranged from huge concerts by famous singers and bands on "stages" throughout Paris, to small jazz groups playing in front of brasseries, to one guy on his guitar singing and playing songs outside the hip Centre Pompidou art museum.

We had a great time, starting in Cergy right by ESSEC after some MBA appointments on campus, then heading into Paris and ending up over in Le Marais area, where people had put huge speakers in their windows and were playing music from their Mac laptops, which created a sort of dance floor below in the streets!

Of course food vendors were out for hungry people - the hit of the evening seemed to be the "New York City" style hot dogs sold from a small window facing a busy street!

 

Fete de la Musique Website 

Rainy Days in June in Paris - Head to Le Marais!

It has been cold and raining for practically all of June here in Paris! Today I decided to head out in Le Marais area of Paris (4e arrondissement, right above the Seine and Notre Dame), and it was a fun day of eating falafel and window shopping! It is fun to walk down the charming cobbled steets that are mostly filled with pedestrians (only an occasional car trying to get through!) This area is great for vintage clothing and accessories shopping, along with a bunch of funky small boutiques.

For eating, there are plenty of casual places, like falafel stands on the streets (I felt like I was back at NYU in the village!) also there are a lot of nice Jewish delis and bakeries - I wanted to try everything! Definitely a good area to come to if you are missing NYC.

Get off at the Hotel de Ville or St-Paul metro stops off the 1 line, and wander the small streets between the two stops, just to the north of the Rue de Rivoli.

 

Wikipedia article with more information on the area.