Introduction
The mention of France brings to mind images of
lazy Parisian cafes and romantic cobbled streets.
No doubt this type of infrastructure still remains
in Paris and other cities of France today but
the landscape changes from place to place. At
the heart of France is Paris the city of many
utilities, educational center and work centers.
For this reason finding accommodation, the living
style and the kind of expenses involved in living
in France should be taken into account by expatriates,
visitors, students and the like. In the following
sections, the author would attempt to enumerate
on the styles of living and household types available
in France. The author also aims to enumerate on
the different resources that are valuable to individuals
living in a French neighborhood such as local
stores, schools and other important resources.
Household
Housing in France can vary from apartments to urban structure buildings. Other types include housing building and luxurious to simple apartments. The basic premise is to provide convenient housing facilities with varying prices. Rental accommodations range from an average of 15 Euros per square meter in Paris to 7 Euros per square meter in other parts of France. In studio type of living accommodation range from 500 to 700 Euros outside Paris and 550 to 700 Euros in Paris ("Living in France" 2004).
Apartments
There is no clear demarcation of "good areas" or "bad areas" for good apartments. These apartments are available on street sides or built in beautiful garden in the courtyard. However, there have been new laws that prohibit old buildings from becoming accommodation units. The aesthetic quality of these buildings however has made them valuable to the country and visitors alike.
La cour
One of the most dominant features of French urban structure is building accommodation built within a square around a court yard. This is usually the case of portions of buildings or houses available with complete garden and walkway that lead to the main building itself (
Parisian apartments
One of the most distinguish feature is the Parisian
apartments that play an important role in defining
the Portuguese or Spanish individuals. It is perhaps
the cheapest mode of living as the rent is controlled
by the Law of 1948. Furthermore, the Portuguese
and Spanish individuals are also the principal
apartment owners who let out these apartments.
Within Paris the price for the apartment vary
but perhaps the most expensive area is Paris VI
and Paris VII which contain the areas of Saint
Germain De Pres, Odeon, Luxembourg, Saint Sulpice,
Beaux - Arts, Saint Michel, Champs de Mars, Bretail
and Varenne etc. In these areas the rate for 2
rooms apartment range from 6200 Francs to 85000
Francs (Educo 2004).
Of all the above renting involve signing of rental agreement or lease agreement showing that the leaser will take the responsibilities of the property and also to ensure that the leaser must have sufficient income to pay for the rent. The income must be three times the amount of the rent. This is usually to provide the security of owner and the leaser has to provide 2 months security deposits as advance rent. Availability however is subjected to estate agencies, direct property owners and newspapers (EduFrance 2002) but since most of the housing is kept for vacationists, long weekenders and tourists etc. the availability is not a concern. However, the only part that is of concern is that the population is shifting from urban to rural areas. Experts are of the opinion that the decision to buy should not be done so rapidly. Instead, it is recommended that individuals survey the market for sometimes before making such decisions. One of the reasons being that strangers to French living might find it difficult to accommodate the difference in lifestyle or the rising expensive living standards prevalent ("Buy or rent a home in France?" 2004).
Another aspect that is of notable importance is that Paris is the center for the country. From Paris the city is distributed to the various departments within the country.
Accommodation and living
French style of living is not expensive but it
is no doubt high among European nations. Most
working individuals and the general public rely
on the metro for commuting with Metro tickets
ranging from 1.4 Euros to 50.4 Euros. Food is
essentially cheap depending on the nature of the
taste of the individuals. For example a sandwich
may cost 2.3 to 3.8 Euros whereas a fast food
lunch or dinner may range from 5 to 9 Euros. The
cheapest food item is perhaps the confectionaries
at the bakers which range from a croissant at
mere 0.8 Euro and the highest of whole wheat bread
costing 1.8 Euros (Educo 2004).
One of the most important features that these accommodations have which differ from standard European living is the inclusion of the toilets and "la salle de bains". These are the bathing and wash rooms. La Salle De bains for example is a historical feature for aristocratic women during that time for hygienic aids, washing and bathing babies’ purposes. On the other hand the toilets are meant for bathrooms and separate from the de bains or the la douche or the shower room ("Housing Issues" 2004)
Accessibility
Most of the districts and territories are connected through Paris. The Paris city walls with its various "Porte de" are the gateways for reaching the suburbs and surrounding areas. The suburbs usually comprise of forests and green spots thereby far away from the main city centers that provide urban amenities like supermarkets or departmental stores. Instead these areas are accessible through commuting train of approximately half to one hour. The houses in these areas are relatively cheaper to access. Outside Paris most of the areas comprise of country areas that have their own provincial lifestyles. The Chevereause valley for example is surrounded by countryside greenery yet it is also a university and technical research centers ("Buy or rent a home in France?" 2004). |