How we experience Paris 'like living there'

I feel a bit sorry for people who go to Paris, or another unfamiliar but iconic city, stay in the hotel district, breakfast in the lobby restaurant, shop at name-brand chain stores and visit only the most talked about attractions. In Paris, that would mean seeing only a narrow band of the city, mostly rubbing shoulders with other tourists and eating overpriced meals. Perhaps the ones who miss out the most are those who can afford to stay in multi-hundred-dollar rooms at the Ritz or other high-end hotels, where they are shielded from the reality of street life and eat the same food they can get in New York, Tokyo or anywhere else the five-star jetset lands.

We've never stayed in a hotel in Paris, and usually are not in what would be considered a tourist zone, although given the city's popularity there are visitors or part-time residents almost everywhere. Still, I've found that once you leave areas like Saint-Germain-des-Pres or the central Right Bank, even by just a few blocks, it's a lot easier to find a modest cafe where you can have a creme and croissant while watching local life, and family-run food and merchandise shops where locals crowd in, prices are reasonable (by Paris standards) and service the expected efficient, and to Americans, gruff, rather than the pandering that has become the standard at places like Fauchon.

Here's the area of the rental apartment we'll be occupying in September, in perhaps the most "authentic" neighborhood we've yet to inhabit, in the overwhelmingly residential 15th arrondissement.

Our apartment will be just steps from this small square.

This square offers a couple of cafes, a hairdresser, a pharmacy and some shops. But it gets better, because the street seen in the distance is filled with great food stores, from one of Paris's best boulangeries to produce stands, butchers, a fish market and an excellent cheese shop. That will allow us to eat very well without breaking the bank on restaurant meals, as we'll buy fresh food and bring it back to our kitchen for prep.

Our kitchen will have all we need to prepare meals.

It's not that we won't eat out; that will be unavoidable as we travel about to take in sights and sounds, including a concert at Saint-Chappelle, an outing that not only will combine beautiful architecture with sweet music, it will allow us to avoid the long lines most tourists get stuck in just to see the interior of the building.

Last visit, we stayed closer to the center, in an apartment just west of the Luxembourg Gardens, one of my favorite spots in Paris. It was a modest place, in a modest neighborhood, but a short Metro ride or long walk from the heart of the Left Bank tourist area.

Lunch laid out in our living room. We also took a pique-nique to the Luxembourg Gardens.

On an earlier trip, we were in a cozy, quiet flat off Rue Paul Bert, one of the hottest dining streets in the trendy 11th. The temptations were too great, and we enjoyed a variety of great meals at Bistrot Paul Bert, Le Temps au Temps, and then-new Le 6 Paul Bert. All were very good, but to reinforce the theme of getting away from the hype, our best dining experience was at Au Petit Panisse, a charming restaurant a few blocks away run by a dedicated team where we were the only English speakers. Rather than tourists ticking off another conquest, the dining room was filled with local families and friends who clearly knew how to enjoy an evening out.

We Americans arrived first, as usual. Soon, every table was filled.

During our time at each of these apartments, we got a sense of what it would be like to live in Paris, as we passed other occupants - people who actually did live there - on our way in and out, felt the rhythm of the streets and cafes, shopped in local markets, took public transportation and otherwise went about our business while trying to stand out as little as possible. That's our Like Living There style, and if it appeals to you, check out a sample of holiday rental apartments we offer in Paris and Barcelona at www.likelivingthere.com. Or, just drop us an email at info@likelivingthere.com with a brief description of your plans and we'll respond promptly with some suggestions, beginning a conversation aimed at finding the most suitable place for you to discover your own unique relationship with one or both of these fascinating and beautiful cities.