Cheap Shopping: Paris Thrift Stores

(Kilo Shop)

There's nothing more satisfying than finding a treasure at a thrift shop. Sure, you may have to dig a bit, but when you find a gorgeous 1950s summer dress for 10€ or a Mad Men-era handbag for 5€, it feels like hitting the jackpot. Here are a few of my favorite Paris thrift stores:

Paris Cheapskate Tour: "Amélie" Film Locations

I adore the film Amélie, which catapulted Audrey Tautou to international fame and gave millions of people the urge to come swoon in Paris. If you're also a fan of the movie, why not take yourself on a charming little walking tour of Montmartre and check out all the locations where the movie was filmed? Here is a step-by-step guided tour you can follow.

Free Art: Musée Carnavalet's Permanent Collection

There are tons of ways to enjoy Paris art for free, from galleries to free museum Sundays, but many of Paris' loveliest museums boast permanent collections that are free to visit every single day. My personal favorite is the Musée Carnavalet, dedicated to the cultural history of Paris.

Cheap Thrills: Hôtel de Ville

(Photo via Wikipedia)

When my mom first came to Paris, we were in the Marais and as we walked past the Hôtel de Ville, I pointed it out to her and she said, "Wow, I wish we were staying in THAT hotel!"

Easy mistake, but it's not, of course, a hotel at all... the "hôtel de ville" of any French town is the city center or town hall. It's where you go to sort out administrative woes and pick up brochures for what's happening around town. But Paris takes the concept much further and its Hôtel de Ville goes way beyond its definition as a city center. This magnificent structure has been around since the 1357 and is so much more than "the city's local administration" (as Wikipedia has described it).

The Cheapest Books In Paris

(Jean Seberg via Awesome People Reading)

Yes, you should be practicing your French, but what if you just want to read a book in English? A little something to bring to Jardin du Luxembourg or Tuileries, or for while you sit along the Seine or in a café, or just to keep you occupied on the long journey away from Paris whether by train or plane.

Luckily there are plenty of reading resources for Anglophones in Paris. Besides Shakespeare and Company, the Abbey Bookshop and San Francisco Book Company, you can always get a membership to the American Library of Paris and check books out at your heart's desire. But what if you're a seriously stingy, Jenna-level cheapskate? No worries; there are regular events by two Paris organizations which sell books for between 1-3€ apiece!

Cheap Paris Opera Tickets

(Photo via La Terrasse)

I'd always wanted to go to the opera. In the past and in other beloved cities I'd gone to the ballet, the theater, and classical music concerts, but never the opera. It's all so fancy and high-class that I have trouble even saying the word without it sounding, well, snooty. Ahhh-prahh. The very idea of it is so Paris: get dressed up, go somewhere fabulous, have a night on the town. So you can imagine how thrilled I was recently to snag tickets to the Paris opera for a mere ten euros.

The Best Paris Flea Market: Marché Aux Puces de Vanves

I love me a good flea market, junk shop, garage sale, any place you can get cool old things for very cheap. Paris has its share of great brocantes and vide greniers, but the best Paris flea market I've been to is at Porte de Vanves.

Cheap Paris Art: Kaitlin Rebesco Photography

("Lovers at the Louvre," by Kaitlin Rebesco, $30)

Kaitlin Rebesco's photography has a distinctive kind of intimacy to it, a feeling of ephemerality and beauty that inspires a sense of lovely wistfulness. Rebesco's photos perfectly capture a feeling of fleeting happiness - whether that's youth, or love, or sunshine, or simply being in Paris while knowing you will have to leave it. The Chicago native says of her time in the City of Light, "Paris is such a picturesque city but one that at times, to me, feels almost melancholic. This sort of quiet and beautiful sadness is a feeling I tried to depict in my own work, using a lot of white space and minimalist compositions. But Paris, like everything else, is always changing, and that change is an inspiration."

Sponsored Post: 5 Signs It's Time To Get Away

I love this cute, well-designed graphic courtesy of Superbreak. Don't you think it's a great time to come to Paris... right now? (Click to see a larger version.)

Find out more about Superbreak City Breaks.

THATLou: Paris Treasure Hunts at the Louvre

(We didn't even get bonus points for this. We just liked the look of it.)

When Daisy de Plume was growing up in New York, her mother would take her to art museums like the Met. To keep her interested, engaged and well-behaved, Mum would create games for Daisy to play that focused on the art, often with monetary incentives. Years later, living in Paris and armed with an art history degree, Daisy's wanderings around the Louvre inspired the familiar feeling of associating art with reward. Wouldn't it be great to have those games to play in the most famous museum in the world? Thus THATLou, or Treasure Hunt at the Louvre, was born.

Discovering Paris With CROP THE BLOCK

(Video still via CROP THE BLOCK)

When French-born Adrien Degouve was traveling or studying abroad, he wanted a way to show the spirit of Paris to the new friends he met. He searched for videos online that captured the essence of the varied Parisian neighborhoods and arrondissements, but found many of them were of amateur quality. So, like any good entrepreneur, he saw the opportunity and decided to fill the demand. Thus CROP THE BLOCK was born.

CROP THE BLOCK is a collection of creative, high-quality short videos that highlight the unique beauties of neighborhoods around Paris. Ranging from documentary style to short fictions, each video is created by a different local filmmaker or "cropper" who knows the area intimately and shows it from his or her own joyful and enthusiastic perspective. One video shows a man rollerblading around the iconic pyramid of the Louvre to the sounds of electropop, while another features a charming and witty host to tell us all about Place d'Italie (while saving us from boring history lectures). Still another depicts two young lovers in black and white on the Seine in the style of Agnès Varda. My favorite is this clever montage by Camille Lorente and Lucie de Ribier of the colorful and diverse Château Rouge area, featuring a pair of shoes that undergo a cool transformation:

This is an awesome site because anybody with an interest in or tie to Paris can enjoy it. Whether you're a proper Parisian and want to see fascinating new takes on the neighborhoods of your city, or if you're an expat or traveler who wants to discover a new 'hood, or a Francophile who just wants to spend an afternoon living vicariously through a group of talented filmmakers in Paris, CROP THE BLOCK is THE digital way to experience Paris, and soon they'll be expanding to feature other cities around Europe and hopefully, eventually, the world. Check out the site to watch all the films.

Sponsored Post: Paris to London with iDBUS

(Photo courtesy iDBUS)

Paris and London have a long and well-documented relationship. If you're in one of the two cities, it only makes sense to visit the other while you're "in the area." But not everybody can afford tickets on the high-speed Eurostar trains. Though Eurostar does have some sales throughout the year, you can get an even more affordable round trip ticket between Paris and London any day of the year with iDBUS bus services.

iDBUS' frequent daily voyages and user-friendly site makes it super-easy to book a cheap ticket between cities. You can go from Paris' Bercy Station to London's Victoria Coach Station with their 39€ Mini Price! I'm not gonna lie, it is a long journey - about 8 or 9 hours - but that's a snap for overnight voyages and with your ticket you get free wi-fi, electrical sockets for your gadgets, real-time voyage updates, and you're guaranteed one free checked bag plus a carry-on.

When you sign up for the iDBUS newsletter, you'll get updates and first notice on deals between Paris and London, but I'll let you in on a deal that lasts all year round: buy 3 tickets, get one free. If you have a few friends to bring to London (or from there to Paris), go in on the deal together and save some bucks!

iDBUS also has lines to Amsterdam, Genoa, Turin and several other cities in France, so if you're looking to travel in style for cheap, especially from Paris to London, check out the site and make use of this awesome deal. Just don't forget your passport.

Paris Cheapskate Summer Music 2013

Coucou mes cheries! As a celebration of all the nice weather, all the free concerts and movies, all the maxin' and relaxin' we've had the chance to do this summer in Paris, I made y'all a little playlist of all the fun summer songs I've been listening to on repeat since June. The list features such chillax artists as Rhye, Summer Camp, Breakbot, Dent May and my two new favorites Kindness and  Majid Jordan. Enjoy!

Cheap Art: Paris Maps

(Paris at night from space, via Lense.fr)

I don't know about any of you other travelers out there, but I absolutely adore maps. Putting aside the fact that I'm terrible at reading them, something about seeing a city laid out in a logical, vibrant way really appeals to my aesthetic. I like to collect maps and paper my walls with them, putting a pin in each place I've been. That's why for this Paris art roundup I've found a bunch of artistically interpreted Paris maps for you to buy for cheap, hang on your wall and get your wanderlust going.

Personally, I'd download the full-sized version of the above photo of Paris from space, frame it and hang it on my wall.

I'm mad for this colorful, blocky, mod rendering of Paris for just $30 by JazzberryBlue.

(via JazzberryBlue's Etsy)

This arrondissement-ized map via Ork Posters, just $22, also comes in three other color combos and the higher-quality screen prints are only a few bucks more at $27.

(via Ork Posters)

The Paris Print Shop, for whom I've professed my adoration before, sells not only illustrations but photography as well, as displayed in this stunning color-by-arrondissement Paris map for $28.

(via Paris Print Shop's Etsy)

This typography map of Paris is just gorgeous and just $10.95, but it's not geographically accurate (locations are repeated and placed willy-nilly).

(via ParisPhotoShop's Etsy)

For you crafty types out there, you can make your own embroidered Paris Métro map like the lovely one below for just the cost of supplies. DIY instructions here.

(via College Life DIY)

Or you can have this beautiful vintage Paris map from 1924, just $16, nicely framed.

(Via CarambasVintage on Etsy)

The Paris High Line: Promenade Plantée

One of the few things to do in Paris in August, one thing that doesn't close and holds all the magnificence of summer, is the Coulée verte, or Promenade Plantée. Preceding NYC's Highline by sixteen years, the Promenade Plantée operates on the same idea: an elevated railway gone to waste and reclaimed by city planners, clever landscape designers, and Mother Nature.

An Ode To The Almighty Baguette, And Where To Get It In August

I won't try to give you a comprehensive list of the best baguettes of Paris, because wiser foodie sites than mine have already done it. But I will say that this is the cheapest thrill possible, maybe in all of life. There is nothing like the French baguette.

Pro Tip: Paris Bike Sharing With Vélib'

(Thug life! There's no way a Parisian driver won't see me)

When the weather's good and the Métros are too stuffily hot or crowded to bear, the absolute best way to get around Paris is in the Vélib'. This clever bike-sharing system makes wheeling around town easy and, best of all, affordable. There are over 1,200 Vélib' stations and 18,000 shared bikes in Paris, making it the world's 3rd-largest bike sharing system. It used to be a hassle to use the bikes for just a day, but now you can take out a bike on a one-day pass for just 1,70€.

Cinema Au Clair de Lune 2013

(Film still from "Midnight in Paris")

This week the awesome film house Forum des Images begins their annual Cinema Au Clair de Lune, a 10-day film fest that hops locations around the city each night. As with the film fest at Parc de la Villette, grab a blanket and some refreshments and head over to the corresponding location by sundown for this fun and free event. Full details on the Forum des Images site, but here's the complete schedule:

Free Movies in Paris: Cinema En Plein Air 2013

(Photo via Tourisme93)

This week kicks off the monthlong free movie fest Cinema En Plein Air at Parc de la Villette. Every few days, the lawn will set up a scrim and screen a crowd-pleasing flick for free at sundown. It's fun, good for groups, dates or just to go by yourself, a fab excuse for a picnic, and it's one of the only things to do in August. All movies are in their original languages with French subtitles when applicable. Here's the full lineup:

Paris Cheapskate + Google Field Trip

Super exciting news - Paris Cheapskate has partnered up with Google as a contributor to their awesome new Field Trip app for Android and iPhone. Field Trip is like having a slew of personal tour guides to show you around a new city (or even your hometown), culling material from blogs and websites dedicated to the city you're in. It shows you recommendations for things to see, places to go, and the city's best restaurants, bars, museums, you name it, from the city's hippest insiders. Best of all, it remembers your preferences so if you are particularly interested in saving money while traveling to Paris, well, you'll see a lot of Paris Cheapskate pop up on your Field Trip. It runs in the background of your smart phone and when you approach something it thinks you would like, it alerts you with details about the awesomeness nearby.

This is one of the best apps you can get for discovering a city, and I don't say that just because I'm a proud partner. I'd recommend downloading Field Trip whether or not you're in Paris, because the app works in cities all over the world, and, of course, because it's FREE. Download Field Trip now and let's explore!

Free Concerts: FNAC Live Festival 2013

(Photo via WorldRedEye)

This Thursday begins the FNAC Live Festival, otherwise known as the best set of free concerts in Paris. Get your fill of indie bands playing in front of the Hôtel de Ville from 5:30pm-midnight every evening through Sunday. Check out the full schedule to make the most of the fest, but I'm particularly excited to see indie power-rockers Palma Violets (Thursday, 7:30pm), charming Italian jazz pianist Raphael Gualazzi (Friday 7:30pm), and definitely, definitely excited to see dirty/sexy hipster DJ Breakbot (Friday, 9:50pm), whose insanely danceable beats and long-form mixes are usually my summer soundtrack.

New Paris Lit Mag: Belleville Park Pages

As I've mentioned before, Paris still has quite a lively and interesting literary community of expats, many of whom read their work at open-mic nights around town, like Paris Lit Up on Thursday nights. Now, two poets from this community, James Bird and Will Cox, are bringing the scene to readers all over the world with the just-launched literary publication Belleville Park Pages.

La Défense Jazz Festival 2013

(Photo by J. Albertos via Vigoenfotos)

La Défense is not exactly the kind of place you'd expect to have a jazz festival. The sky-scraping mini-city just to the west of Paris is constructed of business buildings and is the home of some 1,500 corporate headquarters, making it Europe's biggest business district. However, each summer, La Défense holds a one-week music celebration dedicated to discovering new and favorite jazz musicians from all over the world.

Cheap Eats: Gyoza Bar

I hesitate to share this cheap nosh with the world, because the place is so tiny and so cheap and so good. But that's also why I have to share it. Gyoza Bar in the 9e arrondissement seats about ten people and whips up the freshest, most savory and non-greasy gyoza dumplings I've ever had. Besides beer and sprout salad, it's the only thing on the menu, so it's pretty much guaranteed that the three chefs in front of you have this down. At 6€ for 8, it's the best deal around for a warm-up snack on a rainy day or a holdover bite before a night out.

For a more in-depth (fawning) review of Gyoza Bar, check out my article over at Girls' Guide to Paris.

Gyoza Bar

56 Passage des Panoramas 75002 Paris

Métro: M8, M9 to Richelieu-Druot or Grands Boulevards

Summer Soldes in Paris

For a Cheapskate like me, the Paris soldes are the most wonderful times of the year. Due to some kind of silly law, retailers are only allowed to have storewide sales twice a year. I know, I don't get it either, but their ridiculousness is our gain, as the relative rarity of the sales drives up competition and pushes retailers to get their end-of-season wares out the door. During this twice-yearly event, shops big (Hermés on rue St-Honoré) and small (Tuxedo in Montmartre) slash their prices in two or three rounds throughout five weeks in both winter and summer. It's the perfect time to stock up on French fashion and find some serious steals on both basics and splurges, depending on your outlook and bank account.

Cheap Eats: Le Barbezingue

(Photo via Foodspotting)

When a fellow expat blogger wrote to me to tip me off about an all-you-can-eat buffet in Paris, I was wary but knew I had to try it. Turns out that Le Barbezingue, a charming little home-style bistro just a few bus stops away from the Chatillon Métro station, is delicious, generous and a great deal at just 22,50€ for an à volonté dinner. They even have a cheese cabinet to raid. And, I mean, all the desserts you can eat. What more can I say? Check out my full review over at Girls' Guide to Paris.

Le Barbezingue
14, Blvd de la Liberté, Châtillon (92320)
Métro: M13 to Chatillon, then take either Bus 295 (direction Velzy 2), Bus 194 (direction Lycée de Chatenay-M.) or  Bus195 (direction Robinson RER) to Paul Bert

Pro Tip: MyTable Online Restaurant Reservations

(Still from one of my favorite Seinfeld scenes)

So, I have been in Paris for well over a year now and though my language skills have vastly improved, there's one occasion on which I always, always panic: making reservations at a restaurant. All my French seems to fly right out the window as I'm hunched forward, eyes squeezed shut, trying very hard to listen and understand the host or hostess on the other end asking me simple questions, like, say, my name. 

Garden at the Hôtel de Ville

(Photo by Audrey via Flickr)

The longer I live in Paris, the more I love the Hôtel de Ville. More specifically, the plaza of the Hôtel de Ville. It's a chameleon space, a blank canvas open to the whims and creativity of its organizers. In winter it's an ice-skating rink, in July it'll be a beach, last year there there were giant pillows in front of a screen playing the Olympics, and just last week they played the French Open alongside an actual tennis court.

Well, between the tennis and the upcoming beach, they will squeeze in a good month or so of "jardin éphémère," or temporary garden. Yes, this massive field of concrete facing the majestic city hall will be transformed into a green space, full of grass, flowers and other oxygen-making stuff of God. Looks like it will be beautiful!

Jardin Éphémère
FREE
Saturday, 15 June - Friday, 12 July
Hôtel de Ville
Métro: M1, M11 to Hôtel de Ville

Play Me, I'm Yours Returns To Paris

After the success of last year's effort to install random pianos around the city, the part-community service, part-art installation, all-awesome project Play Me, I'm Yours returns for a second summer in Paris. As the brainchild of British artist Luke Jerram, forty beautifully, uniquely decorated pianos will be set up in public spaces all around Paris for three weeks starting this Friday. Anybody, from classically trained musicians to amateurs can sit down and tickle the ivories.

Paris Jazz Festival at Parc Floral

(Photo via Sortir à Paris)

The finest way to enjoy a jazz concert is en plein air. Beginning this weekend, the fifth annual Paris Jazz Festival gives you the wonderful, warm opportunity to do just that, with 31 concerts over 8 weekends at the enchanting Parc Floral on the east edge of Paris. From soul and blues to funk and Latin jazz, the two-month jazz-stravaganza will offer plenty of chances to discover and toe-tap your way across the jazz spectrum for just the price of a ticket into the park. Make a day of it, bring a picnic and enjoy the park before and after the shows. Hot picks: check out the Bastille Day "interactive ball" with New Orleans artist Trombone Shorty on 14 July, and be sure to see legend Hugh Masekela do his thang on 21 July. His "Grazing in the Grass" is the perfect summer anthem:

Cheap Art: Fred Eerdekens' Shadow Words

(by Fred Eerdekens)

I'm a huge fan of art that incorporates text. I guess that's not so surprising for a writer, but from mail art to Mel Bochner, I can't get enough of wordy art. That's why I was so excited to see Fred Eerdekens' simple and stunning exhibit "Remanences" at Magda Danysz Gallery in the 11e arrondissement.

Paris Lit Up Open Mic Nights

Paris has a long tradition of attracting expat writers to its cobblestone streets and intimate drinking spaces. Even today, there's a booming community of writers wandering the streets of the city. The organization Paris Lit Up seeks to connect these writers and keep visitors and expats informed of the many various goings-on in the Paris literary community. They've even created a weekly open mic night at the fab (and very cheap) Belleville bar Culture Rapide.

Cheap Art: Portes Ouvertes Belleville

(Lovely Rebecca Brown at last year's Portes Ouvertes of Belleville)

I love going to Portes Ouvertes, or weekends where artists in a selected neighborhood open their ateliers for visitors to come and check out their working spaces (often also their homes) and view their work. It can also be a great opportunity to buy art directly from the artist, often at a lower price than you'd find at a gallery or elsewhere. In addition to full-sized works, oftentimes for these events the artists will have small paintings or prints available for less than 30€.

Cheap Eats: Heures Heureuses 2013

Hooray, Heures Heureuses is back for another year of budget gourmet bites! Here's how it works: stop by the Mairie de Paris at the Hôtel de Ville and snag a cute little "passport" that shows you all the different restos that are participating (with maps!). Then, at each place, have your passport "stamped" and get a delicious little bite for just 2€ apiece. Make a flânerie out of it and bounce from place to place, trying out cheapo bites at each stop and discovering restaurants you might not otherwise have known about.

Pissarro's Places

(Pissarro's "Boulevard Montmartre, Matin d'Hiver" via Le Monde des Arts)

I was bummed when I found out that Camille Pissarro was a man, not a woman. I'm not sure why. But his gender takes nothing away from the fact that this "dean of Impressionism" was a prolific painter of lovely country landscapes, street scenes and quotidian life. He mentored Gaugin, Van Gogh and Cezanne, who said of Pissarro, "He was a father for me. A man to consult and a little like the good Lord." He moved around between Paris, the French countryside, London, and even Venezuela, painting a wide spectrum of visual delights, and it's this variety that has captured the fascination of author Ann Saul, who has visited every single place Pissarro painted (with the exception of Venezuela) and will be at the American Library of Paris this Wednesday to discuss her book, appropriately named "Pissarro's Places."

Ann Saul: Pissarro's Places
FREE
Wednesday, 22 May, 7:30pm

The American Library of Paris

10 Rue du Général Camou  75007 

Paris Métro: M8 to École Militaire

Free Art: European Museum Night 2013

(Photo of the Louvre via Konrad Kasior)

Once a year, museums all over Europe keep their doors open late, and for free. This is La Nuit Européenne des Musées, European Museum Night, and if you're in Paris this weekend you'd be a fool not to take advantage of this up-all-night culturefest (most museums are open until midnight, but some stay open 'til 2am). You can see the Venus de Milo at the Louvre, Marcel Proust's bedroom at Musée Carnavalet, the "Angels of the Odd" exhibit at Musée d'Orsay and many, many more exhibits and permanent collections all over Paris, for free. Here's a full list of the 166 events happening just in Paris.

La Nuit Européenne des Musées
FREE
Saturday, 18 May, 'til late
Various locations

Cheap Art: Madame Moustache

("Memories are like old mustard: if it doesn't sting anymore, it's obsolete." By Madame Moustache)

Madame Moustache is a Parisienne street artist whose work has popped up on walls all over the city, mostly in the hip neighborhoods of the 11th, 18th and 20th arrondissements. Madame Moustache creates her detailed and busy collages from objects, images and words culled from magazines from the '60s and '70s and whips them into cool, interesting and (most of all) funny works of art that give a wink to our notions of gender, power and relationships. 

Free Concerts: Festival Jazz Saint-Germain-Des-Prés 2013

(Photo of Bob Wilber (l) and Sidney Bechet (r) via Jazz Masters)

May is a great time in Paris, as it kicks off the free music season. It all begins with the annual Festival Jazz Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a 2.5-weeklong fiesta of all forms of the art from swing to gypsy to modern ("cool") jazz in an assortment of concerts all over Paris (many of which are free). This year the festival celebrates its 13th edition with concerts at the Luxembourg gardens, at the Center for Irish Culture (a swing ball!), at the Oceanic Institute, at Starbucks, even at Orly airport. I will definitely dig the tributes to Sidney Bechet (Woody Allen's favorite jazz artist) and Django Reinhardt. To see the festival's entire lineup, head to the website and plan your jazz appreciation!

Festival Jazz Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Prices vary, many concerts FREE
Thursday, 16 May - Monday, 3 June
Various Locations

Quiet Paris (With Special Reader Discount!)

(Image via Paris Imperfect)

With over 2 million residents and a whopping 42 million visitors each year, Paris tucks a lot of humanity into its 20 arrondissements. From the crowded Métro at 6pm to endless lines of people filing in and out of its landmarks, it's easy to feel overwhelmed in this city. (To note: I went to City Pharma one Tuesday afternoon and nearly had a panic attack from the masses of discount beauty-seeking women).

But Siobhan Wall sees beyond all that. The writer/photographer has the enviable job of traveling the globe in search of nooks and crannies of quiet and calm in the world's most famous cities. After gaining recognition for her books Quiet London and Quiet Amsterdam, Wall has taken on the City of Light with her third in the series, Quiet Paris.

Cheap Drinks: Marlusse et Lapin

(Hey, that guy's kinda cute, I should have talked to him)

Though South Pigalle is the hot new area for hipsters and dive bars these days, I'd advise you to venture a bit northward on your next visit to the red light district of Paris and snag a cheap drink at Marlusse et Lapin. This unassuming neighborhood spot is just far enough up the street from Pigalle to escape the creepy leering men beckoning you into strip clubs, and offers ridiculously affordable drinks in its snug and old-fashioned imbibing space. Grandma wallpaper and even a table centered around an old sewing machine set the decidedly un-hookerish vibe at Marlusse et Lapin, and with friendly and fun bartenders serving up glasses of wine and beers at less than 3€, there's no better spot in the area to have a cozy drink to get your night started (or ended).

Marlusse et Lapin
14 rue Germain Pilon 75018 Paris
Métro: M2 to Abbesses, M2/M12 to Pigalle

Coming Home

Though I didn't say so here on Paris Cheapskate, I spent three months last fall and winter bouncing around between Paris, New York and Arizona. The result was a new perspective on what it means to come home, and even what home, itself, is. If you'd like to read more about that, I'm thrilled to have an essay about it featured on the fantastic site Narratively. Tell a friend!

Pro Tip: Cosem Paris Walk-In Clinics

(It won't be like this... but the Google Image Search was too awesome. Illustration via Pulp International)

Here is one Paris pro tip that seemed too important not to share but one I hope you'll never need: how to find non-emergency medical help in Paris.

Disquaire Day 2013

Say what you will about it being a dying breed, but I read recently that vinyl record sales have been increasing since 1993 and continue to do so, particularly spiking in sales over the last couple of years. That news makes a hipster like me very happy, as I am comforted in the knowledge that the soft whir of dust noise and forced order of songs (complete with intermission as you turn the vinyl over to Side B) may continue to prosper, at least for a little while longer. For fellow hopeless nerds, rejoice in Record Store Day, known as Disquaire Day here in Paris, a celebration of record stores. All over town, record stores will have special prices on certain vinyls and some will even have live performances. For a complete guide to celebrating Disquaire Day in Paris, check out my article on Girls' Guide To Paris, and to find out how to celebrate near you, check out Record Store Day's official website.

More Cheap Paris Art: HPrints Vintage French Ads

(1923 La Vie Parisienne cover, $23)

I'm a huge fan of vintage ads. Many days when all of the advertising we're bombarded with every day get to me, I wonder if someday I'll look back on today's ads with the kind of marvelling wonder with which I see a Bernard Villemot print from the '60s. But right now I have good news for my fellow penny-pinching vintage ad lovers: I've stumbled upon a vertitable treasure trove of vintage French ads from all decades of the 20th century. From fashion prints to old Vogue and La Vie Parisienne covers to auto and lingerie ads, HPrints has everything your vintage-loving heart desires. You can find old ads for luxury brands like Givenchy, Balenciaga, YSL and Chanel, cosmetic ads from Lancôme and Guerlain, auto ads promoting the likes of Peugeot, Citroën and Rolls Royce, even booze ads for Hennessy, Cointreau and Campari. HPrints sell only original prints, mostly from periodicals and never later reprints, so you know you're getting an authentic vintage print. And what's more: they are cheap as hell.