From Nice Old Nice to Nue New York

Lunch at Le Café du Palais, Nice

Your taste of life in Paris and France
ParlerParis.com
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 • Paris, France

Dear Parler Paris Reader,

Today, I'm on my way to Nice with colleagues Martine di Matteo and Véronique Husson to meet with contractors in the Nice apartment I am in the process of purchasing. TheCompromis (pre-sale agreement) has been signed and by the end of May, if all goes well, the apartment will be titled in my name and ready for massive renovation.

Martine is our associate Interior Architect who has renovated and decorated numerous apartments for our clients, to such a beautiful quality and style, that to do anything without her advice and 'seal of approval' would be foolish. Véronique is the mosaiiste (mosaic artist) who has turned “boxes” (boring apartments) into masterpieces. With the two of them in tow, there will surely be an onslaught of ideas and hope to turn these four-plus walls into the Palais du Soleil (Sun Palace) of which I am dreaming.

The apartment itself has the potential for accomplishing such a glorious environment, first because of it's drop-dead perfect location directly on the "Place du Palais" at the heart of Vieux Nice. Within steps of the Place is the beach and the Promenade des Anglais, Place Massena, the Marché aux Fleurs, the Cour Saleya and of course, Vieux Nice. Just behind the apartment is the municipal parking lot should you be in Nice with a car or need immediate access to drop off your luggage. Could it be better?

The apartment itself, is fortunately only three flights up to achieve the views and light that come from the large windows on both sides, both north and south-facing. One side has an in-your-face view of the Clock Tower of the Palais Rusca just next door, the Place du Palais de Justice and it's lovely round fountain with lots of sky. The other side has a balcony the full length of the apartment on the courette (little courtyard) with three doors, two from the salon and one from the bathroom. Strangely enough, the bathroom was built on what once was a balcony – something common in old buildings in Nice. The ceilings are about four meters high and although the Loi Carrez (official habitable space) is about 35 square meters, the space feels much larger and will be quite liveable for up to four guests.

Today we are meeting with two different contractors who will present ideas and estimates for the work. I fully expect it to cost all total about 3,000 euros per square meter including all furnishings, to do what I believe it deserves and will produce a luxury apartment that will not only be a heavenly home-away-from-home for myself, but a vacation rental that will stay booked all year round.

We have just one afternoon to accomplish all this. Martine will fly home the following morning to attend to her other affairs and I will head west to New York City just in time to be present at my daughter's vernissage(art opening) at the Dash Gallery in Tribeca of her “Nue York Portraits.” (www.nue-york.com) It's a close call, landing only a few hours before the show, but it was as good as it could get under the time constraints – I was lucky to find a flight to make it possible.

Because of the tight timing, my outfit for the evening will be in my carry on, just in case the valise is lost and doesn't make it to New York with me. The logistics are crucial, but doable. For those of you who are 'fashionistas,' I found a real bargain at a shop called “Heaven” on rue du Pont Louis Philippe – a black silk dress with a 'décolleté' (decolletage) that one could imagine on Elizabeth Taylor. (Wish it could look so great on me, but ha! One can dream, right?!) At any rate, one must be prepared for lots of cameras snapping at the photography exhibition, no?

Tomorrow's French Property Insider (www.frenchpropertyinsider.com) will tell more about the Nice saga, so if you are interested and are not already subscribed, be sure to do so by visiting the site – it's free, it's every Thursday and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Meanwhile, between now and next Monday when I return to Paris, there will surely be lots to report, so do stay tuned.

A la prochaine...

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
With Martine di Matteo

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P.S. Yesterday we had lots of fun at Parler Paris Après Midi learning more about body language – what it tells and how to read it – from Kristin Shannon and Antonio Meza of PSI Communications (www.psicommunications.com). Read all about it and see the photos by visiting Parler Paris Après Midi, then plan to attend our next session whenJudith Merians, film guru, will be discussing this year's best picture, The King's Speech.