Interview :How Judy, architect, from BRAZIL settled in LE MARAIS, PARIS FRANCE by Nathalie Molho,parisian native Real Estate expert

Where are you from ?

SAO PAULO *    

Which was your purpose by settling in Paris ?

I first traveled to Paris for leisure concerning gastronomy and especially cooking lessons called CORDON BLEU

A few years ago,I rented an apartment in le Marais  and I fell in love with this district

I really enjoyed this part of Paris and I decided to purchase an apartment here: it’s so central, so easy to live in : near museums, near Place des Vosges , near the Seine, and what I appreciate most is the village life , it’s like I always lived here  !

How long did it take you to find your apartment?

7, 8 months, it was important to me to find in the MARAIS, I knew exactly what I wanted in terms of area and  budget  

Did you buy with the help of an Agency?

Yes, some brokers showed me some apartment not connected to my criteria, I asked one of my friend who is also architect to help me, and actually we found the perfect one very quickly with the help of an agency called Immobilière Sainte Catherine

Was it complex to follow the renovation works as you were not resident in Paris ?

I found the best team to help me in conception, renovation and follow up : the LO-ST agency *, with the design of Emmanuel Lassalle, fully involved and dedicated in my project !

Before renovation 

After renovation by LO-ST Agency, apartment sold by Immobilière Sainte Catherine 

Are the real estate law and specifications very different in France and in your country?

In Brazil, notaries don’t do the same work

Besides when you buy in Brazil, you do everything within one month only !

What do you like in Paris that you don’t have in your country?

Everything! But what I appreciate most is to feel secure: here – as a woman- you can be out from morning to evening without any problem !

In Paris, I belong to the city !

In SAO PAULO I belong to my apartment !

What do you like the most in Paris LIFESTYLE?

Here I can run I can bike, I feel the beauty of the city at the same time, distances are smaller, transports are easy and it helps to move from a district to another!

I feel free …

Everything can be easily accessed : theaters, restaurants, bistrots, bars, museums, shops etc…

What is the most different? What surprised you most?

The relationship between people: here they are more « educated » there people are more warm 

PLACE DES VOSGES: culture, monument, gastronomy, shopping !!!! 

Is Paris transportation system an advantage for you to move from a quarter to another? 

Walking distance is universal in Paris, I can do whatever I want by foot, it’s the contrary in Sao Paulo !

Among this 5 interest fields which one was the most attractive and drove you to PARIS specifically :Culture/ Museum/ Monuments/ Gastronomy/ Shopping ?

I am an architect but as a fan of french gastronomy, actually it’s obvious that Paris , the City of light combines all these points of interest especially the Marais quarter with its preserved plan decided by André Malraux the culture minister, it was obvious for me to settle in this special quarter where you feel deeply past centuries and the french history 

I could live here during 10 years and I feel I could discover each day something new in the street, in my neighborhood, in the air ….

You appreciate french gastronomy as a hobby ?

I am passionate about French know-how in haute cuisine  which I like to twist with world flavors!

You imagine you could create a bistrot ?

I wish to !I would like to mix this know-how and my vision of world cuisine

What does le MARAIS represents for you ?

I really had a « coup de cœur » for this part of Paris, where many people from BRASIL are living ! 

All my relatives want to come and visit me !!!

(smiles)

Paris is not the most expensive city of the world but the fifth ! ( after: Singapore, London, Hong Kong, New York ) could you tell us compare to Sao Paulo ?

The price in Sao Paulo compare to Paris is three times lower, but Paris is safe investment and a source of satisfactions ! It’s a kind of dream came true, and at the same time a permanent source of new horizons !

Tell us about the parisianers ?

The Parisian are as sunflowers they like the sun and turn to him !

If you are smiling everything goes well !

* France is the first European destination for the Brazilians, and among all the tourists of Latin America, Brazil is by far the first emerging market for France. Only in 2014, more than 660 000 Brazilians came in France, among which 463 000 in Paris.

* LO-ST Architect Agency Emmanuel Lassalle & Lylian Ollivier

www.lo-st.com

Photos : David Cousin- Marsy

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