Newsletter #110: September 1, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011 
In this Issue
* Do-It-Yourself Workshop Space
* Emergency Groceries 7am-10pm
* Mandarin Oriental Hotel Bar Disappoints
* Affordable Art, Sport and Music Classes
* New French Electric Scooter-Car Hybrid
* European Heritage Days Highlights 2011
* Islam & the City: Muslim Punk Music?
* How to Walk in Stilettos
* Orsay Museum Gala Reopening Soirée
* Getting Your Ikea Furniture Home
* Ecological Music Festival at Bagatelle
* Recent Articles and Posts
* Secrets of Paris Calendar & Tweet
* Do-It-Yourself Workshop Space *
Parisians tend to have small apartments which aren’t conducive to most DIY projects that require space to work, store tools, and make lots of noise (although most of my neighbors drill and hammer away at 9am anyway). But now there’s a place you can go in Paris to learn, create and work independently to your heart’s content. The fully-stocked workshop spaces at L'Etablisienne are free to use for members for an annual membership feeof €15 plus an hourly fee of €7, up to €450 for unlimited access for a month. The center is run by expert cabinet makers, iron smiths, woodworkers, stained glass makers, basket weavers and other artisans from the prestigious Ecole Boulle who also give short workshops or long-term classes on everything from making an inlaid wooden box to a Tiffany-style glass lamp. The setting itself, in an old industrial plumbing factory near Nation, is a Steampunk dream world. Worth a visit! Open daily, L’Etablisienne, 88 Blvd de Picpus, 12th.
And for ladies who want to learn how to fix the toilet, install a light fixture, or use the drill correctly to put up shelves, there are classes just for you through Lilibricole.
* Emergency Groceries 7am-10pm *
Where do you go when you need eggs, fresh fruit, or a bottle of wine at 10pm? In Paris you used to have to go to one of the little neighborhood convenience stores nicknamed “L’Arabe du Coin” because they’re usually run by the city’s North African (aka Arab) immigrants. In some cases they can be very good, but it really depends on the shop. Most are overpriced, cramped places that you would never go unless you were desperate. But for those of us who wake up early in need of a carton milk for our cereal, there was pretty much nothing to do but wait until 8:30 or 9am. Now there are other options. Carrefour City is a new chain of mini-marchés (owned by the Carrefour hypermarket chain) open Monday through Saturday from 7am-10pm (in some cases until 11pm) and Sundays from 9am-1pm (or until 8pm in some shops). There are 18 of these in Paris, oddly concentrated in the 3rd and 15th arrondissements, but I just found one near me. They have fresh fruit and veggies, bread and croissants, sandwiches and pre-packaged food to eat on the go, and a good selection of food, household necessities, and alcohol. No, it’s not somewhere I’d shop on a regular basis, I have my open air market and my favorite health food store (and a Franprix two blocks away), but it’s a great back-up option to keep in mind.
* New Mandarin Oriental Hotel Bar Disappoints *
Among the new luxury hotels that have opened in Paris this year, the Mandarin Oriental Paris is probably in the best spot, centrally-located on the chic Rue St-Honoré. And silly me, I just assumed it would be a great place to stop for a glass of Champagne after a day of shopping. A supposedly world-class hotel must have a world-class bar, right? Well, sorry for the mangled metaphor, but if this bar was an emperor, I’d warn you to cover the children’s eyes. Read the full review here.
* Affordable Art, Sport and Music Classes *
Many visitors and expats are baffled at how the Parisians can afford to live in this city. But figuring out how to save money is a sport in this town. After all, not everyone can afford €25 Pilates classes. But if you’re a tax-paying French resident, you can take very affordable classes at your local Centre d’Animation. These are neighborhood associations which host athletic, artistic and cultural activities such as swimming, yoga, painting, foreign language courses, martial arts, choir singing, theatre classes, piano, et cetera, for kids and adults. These are affordable because they are subsidized by the State, with the price you pay determined by your household income. It’s a bit complicated, but basically you’d take your latest tax declaration with you when registering, and they calculate which bracket you fit into. The 2011-2012 schedule of classes is out now, you can download it online at www.Ligueparis.org or stop by your local Mairie or Centre d’Animation and pick up a printed version.
* The New French Electric Scooter-Car Hybrid *
Something interesting you’ll soon see on the streets of Paris, the Renault Twizy is coming this winter, a tiny electric car between a scooter and a Smart, with the passenger seated behind and about 100km of juice on a full charge (plenty for a day running around Paris). There are two versions, once that is so light in terms of horsepower that you don’t need a license to drive it. Not like it can’t run someone over! It costs about €7k plus battery rental of €45/month.
* European Heritage Days Highlights 2011 *
September 17-18th is the 28th annual Journées Européennes du Patrimoine. As usual there are some « big ticket » places everyone will line up to see (silly rabbits). Some of the coolest things are hosted by the RATP and you have to sign up in advance for a spot. For example, you can visit the tunnel they’re digging with an enormous drilling machine to extend the line 12 metro station on September 18th (you have to wear a special outfit they provide, so no kids and no one under size 36 boot size (about US size 7). There are guided tours that also explain where the tiles come from, why each station has a different décor, to see the switching stations, very “behind the scenes” in the daily workings of the metro most people never see. These two and a half hour tours take place both days. Finally, there is also a tour of the “secret” station at lilas that’s used for filming, this is a 30-minute tour. All tour inscriptions are open from September 12, call 08 20 20 81 82 to sign up (€0.09/minute). It goes without saying that they’ll fill immediately, and that they will only be talking in French. For the full list of the hundreds of locations open to the public for free see the official site On the upper right hand side of the page is a pink box. Search by theme, clicking on “Paris” on the left column and checking the “Ouverture exceptionnelle” and “Première ouverture” boxes on the right to narrow the list down to the places you could never normally visit on your own. It’s best to avoid the Senate, the Elysée Palace (Sarkozy’s house), and the Matignon Palace, which all have enormous lines. Note that many require a reservation like the RATP, so be sure to do this ASAP.
* Islam & the City: Ready for Muslim Punk Music? *
A very different way to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11 is to understand how the event affected Muslims in New York City. The 6th annual Festival des Cultures d’Islam celebrates “Islam & the City”, a ten-day exploration of Islam in the United States through Punk Islam, Gnawa Jazz and Muslim rap, Stand Up comedians, film screenings (Spike Lee’s “Malcom X” and the documentary on Muslims in Hollywood called “Reel Bad Arabs”), artistic and culinary workshops, and (because we’re in France) debates. The event, completely free and open to the public takes place September 7-17 at the Institut des Cultures de l’Islam (in the Goutte d’Or district of the 18th, 19 rue Léon, from 3pm-midnight. On September 8 is the Nuit Yallawood, a “Bal Orientalist”. Come dressed as one of the colorful characters in “Thief of Bagdad” (or any other “Arab” costume) and get a free cocktail (from 9pm).
* How to Walk in Stilettos *
If you just paid a small fortune for those Louboutins, you’d better know how to walk in them without looking like you’re about to topple over. Or perhaps you just want to hang out with a bunch of other stiletto fans, sipping cocktails in a sexy Parisian setting. Who cares if it’s a shallow Parisian fantasy, own it! Join the ladies of Talons Academy for three different events in September 17th at the Café Rouge, September 20th at the Boutique Gien, or September 8th at Galeries Lafayette. The fee is €25-30 and includes lessons and drinks/nibbles. For more info or to sign up, visit the site or email: info@talonsacademy.fr
* Orsay Museum Gala Reopening Soirée *
The “Nouvel Orsay” reopens this fall after a year of renovations, including a complete renovation of the Impressionist galleries on the fifth floor, a newly restored pavilion (Pavillion Amont), new van Gogh and Gauguin galleries on the second floor, and a new gallery for graphic arts. This last gallery, dedicated to the display of rare and fragile works on paper, was partially funded through a grant from the American Friends of the Musée d’Orsay. To celebrate, this non-profit group is hosting the Founders’ Gala “American Soirée at the Nouvel Orsay” on November 12th from 7pm until midnight, with private viewings and a Champagne dinatoire in the company of the museum’s curators. The event is open to members for US$125 or non-members for US$200 (space limited to 300 guests). For more info or to register visit the official site.
* Getting Your Ikea Furniture Home *
After years of making do with the furniture that came with my rented apartment, I finally went to Ikea and got some proper shelving, office equipment, and kitchen supplies. The results alone were worth the effort of trekking out to the ‘burbs, I’m so super-organized now I can hardly believe I waited so long. But I must admit it was actually a rather pleasant and user-friendly experience. Either Ikea has improved immensely, or I just never went to a good one before. I’ve been to Paris Nord by the airport and Velizy on the south side of Paris, but my assistant Bryan convinced me that the one in Villiers-sur-Marne, just before Disneyland on the east side of Paris, was closer. The hardest part about getting furniture at Ikea is getting it home. Even if you have a car, like I do, those tall shelving units are long and heavy. No way would they fit in my Clio.
But there are options:
- Rent an Ikea van for €9 per half hour, gas included (you have to be 21 and have a driving license), to take home all of your purchases.
- Opt for Express Delivery for €45 to have your flat-pack boxed items dropped off at your front door within 48 hours (same day if you purchase and drop off the items to the delivery service desk before 3pm). I did this with the larger items I couldn’t fit in the car.
- Order online or at the store and have the items delivered to your Paris address starting at €59 and up to €340 depending on the amount you’ve purchased.
If you need to get there and back without a car, all of the Ikea stores have directions on how to reach them on public transport (usually an RER and/or bus combo). They also have a sophisticated ride-share service on their website that lets you search for a ride based on where you are, where you’re going, and when you’d like to go. And for people who work during the day (most of us, right?), they’re open until 10pm on Thursday and Friday. Not bad, right? Only one small complaint: no more Daim bars in the Ikea Swedish food shop! They now sell their own brand of generic chocolates. No, they’re not bad. But they’re not Daim. ;-)
* An Ecological Music Festival at Bagatelle *
A kinder, gentler, greener music festival? After the loud, four-stage, tens-of-thousands beer chugging party animals at Rock-en-Seine, the We Love Green Festival proposes an environmentally-conscious weekend with one stage, smaller crowds and a more intimate setting in the peaceful Jardins du Bagatelle (in the Bois de Boulogne). The only headliners I recognize are Piers Faccini (who I really like) and Peter Doherty (snore), but there will also be stands, film screenings, and other awareness-raising events throughout the festival. September 10-11, 4pm-midnight. Tickets are €60 for two day pass. If you want to help out in return for free entry, they need volunteers from September 6th through the 12th.
* Recent Articles and Posts *
In case you haven't visited the Secrets of Paris website lately, here are a few posts you may have missed:
- A Pistachio Shop in Paris
- Franco-American Amitié
- Penguin Pastries
- The N'Importe Quoi Photo of the Week
- An Open Letter to the Préfet de Police, aka “Operation Rescue Swampy”
* Secrets of Paris Calendar & Tweet *
Don’t forget to have a peek at the Secrets of Paris calendar for upcoming events this weekend and in the coming months, including open-air cinema and concerts, horse racing festival in Deauville, the Ethical Fashion show, a rare dance performance by Mikhaïl Baryshnikov, the Curious Paris Creativity Workshops, and the Cirque du Soleil. As always, follow me on Twitter to find out about last-minute events and news in Paris. You can also follow the Secrets of Paris on Facebook.
Enjoying the last warm days of summer with some rosé at Le Petit Bain.
DIY, How to walk in high heels, Ikea, Paris, electric car, heritage days, journées patrimoine, workshop | in Newsletter 
Reader Comments (2)
http://www.citedelamusique.fr/francais/annonces/consultation_rubrique.aspx?id=64
And here is a list of all the choirs in Paris.
http://mediatheque.cite-musique.fr/mediacomposite/cim/_Pdf/20_20_Chorales75_Mpa.pdf