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Hop on the Eurostar for elegant, historic flats with a modern twist, writes Huma Qureshi Freshly baked croissants, cycling by the Seine and dreamy-eyed French lovers lazing under the blossoming chestnut trees in the Jardin des Tuileries... yes, Paris in the spring time is a cliche, but it's at least an unspeakably lovely one. 'Compared to the UK, money is cheap,' says Mark O'Sullivan, head of trading at Currencies Direct. 'The bigger picture in Europe is promising. The continent is performing well economically, and there's a real feel-good factor around.' O'Sullivan says Paris is overlooked by UK buyers who prefer holiday homes in the south of France, but is becoming more popular, especially with young professionals who travel between cities for work. 'It's a select market, but people who can't afford to buy in the UK are buying overseas, and Paris isn't an exception,' he says. 'Its proximity to London makes it all the more desirable.' It's not just city workaholics who are buying in Paris either. Marie-Pierre Saint-Martin runs UK-based property-finding service London Paris Dream Home, and says that many of her clients buy simply because - well, because it's Paris. 'People who want a pied-a-terre for themselves often come to me and say they want somewhere to stay because they love the city and the culture - they think it's beautiful and romantic,' she says. 'They want something for shopping breaks and weekends away, which are now so easy to organise with the Eurostar.' According to Saint-Martin, the most popular areas among UK buyers are the fifth and sixth districts on the Left Bank - namely the noisy, touristy Latin Quarter and the cooler, bohemian streets of St Germain, the old intellectual hang-out. On the Right Bank, Le Marais, the smart fourth district tucked away by Notre Dame, is hugely sought-after because of its shopping, eateries and nightlife. Meanwhile, residential areas around the 10th, 11th and 17th districts, towards the north-east of Paris, are increasingly attracting Brits aspiring to a Parisian lifestyle. |
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