The {New York} Life in PARIS!

Last week I had the great fortune to travel to Paris, the City of Light, with a handful of women who, in addition to being incredible mothers and fitness buddies at Tracy Anderson Method, are some of the best friends I could ever ask for. Traveling to Paris with them was a completely different experience than traveling alone or with family – we didn’t want to go home, so we went BIG! The restaurants were world-class, the museums took my breath away, and the shopping …oh my gosh, the shopping!  Here are the highlights of a week in Paris to give you the travel bug too!

Galerie May

23 rue de Lille, 75007 Paris, France
+33(0) 6 25 11 90 99
www.galerie-may.fr

May Gallery 1The May Gallery was definitely one of the most exciting discoveries from my trip. I had the pleasure to meet Maylis Queyrat, one of the designers and cofounders of the gallery.

May Gallery 2She and her partner, Charles Tassin, produce exceptional furniture, designed in the best tradition of French craftsmanship, restoring past crafts such as marquetry, lacquer and ceramics with a decidedly contemporary flourish. Each décor is unique, leading the May Gallery towards tailored interior design projects that you cannot get anywhere else.

The Space

21 rub Bonaparte, 75006, St-Germain-des-Pres, Paris
+33 6 03 12 63 70
www.thespace.fr

The Space Store 1Another store I fell in love with is “The Space.” Situated in a quaint 18th century, cobblestone courtyard at 21 Rue Bonaparte in the heart of the chic 6th arrondissement of Paris, The Space offered one-of-a-kind fashion items from both established and up-and-coming designers with international, emerging artists.

The Space Store 2The Space concept was brought to life by Tallulah Rufus Isaacs and Julia Van Hagen. Each occupies a specific role in the making of this ‘one of a kind’ concept store in Paris. Tallulah finds up and coming designers, which she associates with bigger brands, while Julia looks for new artists. In turn, the shop has become a vibrant and mystical spot dedicated to art and fashion.

Montaigne Market

7 Avenue Montaigne, 75008, Paris
+33 01 42 56 58 58
www.montaignemarket.com

Montaigne MarketThe French have an expression – “lêche-vitrine” – which means ‘window licking’ and that’s exactly what I was tempted to do while strolling the the Triangle d’Or (the ‘golden triangle’ of streets made up by the Champs Elysées, avenue Montaigne and avenue George V), where luxury fashion labels congregate behind grandiose entrances.

Montaigne Market 2Since 2005, Montaigne Market is the genuine Fashion Check Point on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, France. This store stunningly blends some sixty international labels of clothes, accessories and bijoux selected by Liliane Jossua. From Party Dress to fur, from fine charms to studded perfecto jacket, Montaigne Market, the first multi-brand shop on Avenue Montaigne, offers an incredible choice of ultra-luxury and cosmopolitan styles.

Musee d’Orsay

1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
+33 1 40 49 48 14
www.musee-orsay.fr/en

Masculine 1The Musee d’Orsay is housed in the former Gare d’Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography. It houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces in the world, by painters including Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh.  The main attraction during my visit was the exhibition Masculine / Masculine – an interpretive, playful, sociological and philosophical approach to exploring all aspects and meanings of the male nude in art. Oo la la!

d'Orsay 1“Masculine/Masculine” features male-centric artworks spanning from the 18th century to present day, showing that although the female nude has hogged the spotlight, artists have always paid homage to their manly counterparts.

Centre Pompidou

Place Georges Pompidou, 75004 Paris, France
+33 1 44 78 12 33
www.centrepompidou.fr

roy-lichtenstein-pompidouCentre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, designed in the style of high-tech architecture. It houses the Musée National d’Art Moderne, which is the largest museum for modern art in Europe.  During my visit, I was blown away by the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition.

EXP-LICHTENSTEIN_normalLichtenstein’s paintings have long been recognizable and accessible to museum audiences. Developed in the early ’60s, his signature style elevated comic-book graphic techniques to high art. But the exhibition, curated by James Rondeau, moves beyond these familiar images to include the artist’s lesser-known ‘brass-n-glass’ sculptures, riffs on art-history icons and landscapes in the Chinese style.

L’Avenue

41 avenue Montaigne 75008 Paris
+33 1 40 70 14 91
www.avenue-restaurant.com

l'avenueL’Avenue is super swanky and chic with purple velvet couches and beautiful people all throughout. The food is contemporary. It’s located on a fancy shopping strip on Avenue Montaigne and is definitely a place to “see and be seen”.  Celebrities such as Beyonce Knowles, Kim Kardishan, Rihanna, Jay Z, Justin Beiber, and Anna Wintour have all been seen there.

lavenue 1The menu is comprised of traditional brasserie fare – steak frites, raw bar, foie gras, and various seafood and meat options are on offer. Live DJ music evokes a supper club ambiance throughout the day.

Plaza Athénée

25 Avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris, France
+33 1 53 67 66 65
www.plaza-athenee-paris.com

atheneeAfter a long day of shopping, we stopped by the Hotel Plaza Athénée for an “intermission” before a gregarious night out on the town.

athenee interiorDecorated by interior designer Patrick Jouin, a former protégé of Philippe Starck, Le Bar du Plaza Athénée was a fun combination of classic and modern and a great spot to decompress and prepare for the night.

KONG

1 rue du Pont Neuf, 75001 Paris
+33 01 40 390 900
www.kong.fr

Kong RestaurantAnother Philippe Starck restaurant, Kong effuses a mixture of a relaxed and elegant, classy and entertaining, lively and friendly atmosphere. On the 5th floor of a Haussmann building, every window boasts a different view: the Pont Neuf, Henri Sauvage’s Art Deco design of the Samaritan building, Art Nouveau by Frantz Jourdain, the Seine, the Louis Vuitton HQ.

Club Matignon

3 Avenue Matignon, Paris, 75008
+33 01 42 89 64 72
www.matignonparis.com

Club MatignonMatignon was founded by Paris-born international promoter and artistic director, Cyril Peret Paglinghi and Gilbert Costes, one of the Parisian Costes Hospitality Triumvirate that seems to have its hand in half the new restaurant and cafe concepts in Paris.

I could go on and on about all of the amazing sights I saw over the trip but pictures say a thousand words, don’t they?  Here is a fun gallery from the rest of my time in Paris.  If you are planning to visit this enchanting city, please send me an email at claudia@townrealestate.com – I want you to enjoy your experience as much as I did!

 

claudia-signature

Claudia Saez-Fromm

An entrepreneur, innovator, and singularly successful real estate salesperson, fitness fiend, foodie, mommy, and fashion fan. www.claudiasaezfromm.com

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