Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-27

II h Cheaper 70 Keep House Than b
Board.

tn. COST OF EAcH coAPA2ED AND TIE RI
suLrs OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OWN
HOW A FLAT Is RkSrEp-fHE IMPORTANCE
OF THE CONCIERGE.
Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
PARIS, Aug. 16, 1892
TT Is NOT DIFFICULT TO SET UP
= housekeeping in Paris. One does not need
to buy furniture, kitchen utensils, linen or
glassware. ready-furnished fat Ia the city
or villa in some suburb is applied for at an
agency, . selection IL made from the agent .
lists, the premises are inspected, the amount Of
rent Is demurred to and reduction conceded,
the inventory is made. the first months rent is
paid In advance and you are Immediately chez
vous. The concierge will know Of q servant or
two and the servants will have their fayorite
tradesmen. In two days the establishment will
be in order. 1t is easy enough to do oil this,
but the question arises will it pay? Most Ameri-
cans who come to Paris for so long o stay bring
with them their own necessities and well-de-
fined views of the means of providing for them
For the merely curious reader, as well as for
those who think Of living for time in Paris, q
Few details Of Partisan boarding house life win
neip 10 form standard Of comparison.
CsUAL PRICE FOR BOARD.
The usual price for pension. or complete
board and lodging, in good location is from
81 to IS day. Three dollars day is high,
and ought to give q handsomely furnished
room. The Grand Hotel itself, that very para
dise OF rich American tourists. publicly adver-
uses complete board and lodging for "a day.
This includes the usual portion OF good wine
from the Hotel Cave, which is quite famous.
Dohptless there are many people living at the
largest hotels with their excellent appoint
ments and really rich tables for less than s20 a
week For those who can easily afford it and
who dislike responsibility and attention to de-
tails these prices in themselves sufficient to
give cause before going to housekeeping. On
the other hand, pension prices do not reduce
themselves as easily as they rise. There are
boarding houses. and on the avenue of the
Champs Elysees at that, which advertise COM
plete pension for 81 day. Here one is natur-
ally skepticai, considering the pretentious adj
dress. Doubtless board with good food and
fair wine can be had in a little French family
Tor that price but with all the restraint of
home life differing Mt every point from ones
OF the needy Frenchman to contend with in the
matter OF little extras, repairs, alleged break
ages and so on. So that the attempt to reduce
boarding house expenses below u certain point
not FAR from SIS day, il likely, If nothing
worse. to afford confirmation of Mr.. Brown
ing's lines:
On, the little more. and how much is;
And the little less. and what worlds awayi
HOUSEKEEPING PREFERABLE.
Supposing that stay in Paris Of three
months or more is intended, with moderate
knowledge Of the language and the possession
OF few acquaintance housekeeping is often
preferable to boarding family OF four
adults. believe. can live well in handsomely
furnished fiat for something less than 81 a day
each. This will include the wages of bonnie
that is to say. a maid of all work, and wine of
fair quality at table. 1t will also include water
IN bottles. spring water charged with gas and
very much like the plain soda of our own coun-
Try; Tor IN summer time especially the ordinary
water OF the Paris pipes is not to be depended
| on. Each quarter Of the city in its turn has
the offensive and unhealthy water of the Seine
thrust upon it from time to time as there is
not enough of the good water of the vanne for
all. 1t IL true, however, that this state OF
affairs has only begun Of late and promises to
be remedied in u few years. There will be a
considerable advantage over a So or even a 60
! O day pension; first of all, i'm the number and
size of rooms, then in quality of food Though
not In its quantity), in the quality Of wine and
in natural freedom.
Students excepted, few Americans live on the
| south side Of the Seine. Here is the old cite
the Latin Quarter and the Faubourg st. Ger
main-the Paris Of history, the Paris OF Balzac-
u
home in 1t. Necessarily they are more familiar
with what those Of the Faubourg st. German
call the FaubourG des Singes. the Faubourg Of
Monkeys-that life which radiates from the
great boulevards and has its center at the Opera
House or the Church Of the Madelaine. Roughly.
| the American quarter is that newly built and
central portion Of Paris which lies north of the
Seine, west Of the Place de 10 ConcOrde and il
| cut off on the northeast bv the Boulevard
Malesherbes: Its center is not far from the
Place de fEtoile. In this neighborhood hand
| sOmely furnished fat can be obtained for 800
a month. 1t will consist of an ante salon. a
large salon, three or four bed rooms, q large
dining room. butler pantry and kitchen Fur
nished means completely furnished, and in a
style considerably better than the bed rooms OF
the best hotels. The dining room especially is
nearly always rich in heavy carved wood fur
niture. The salon will be quite splendid. one
bed room adjoining it will be furnished in the
same luxuriance and the other bed rooms will
be fairly large and comfortable. The furniture
includes bed covering Cinen excepted, table
service for twelve covers and glass ware for
five wines and complete set of kitchen uten-
sils. Silver is excepted.
THE MoDUs opERAND1.
In order to have good choice of apartments
it is advisable to consult house agent. who
though he acts in the interest of his landlord
will treat you fairly. 1t is necessary in every
signing the lease for it. The ''maisons
meubiees" are to be avoided not only because
slightly doubtful flavor clings to the name
but also because they are to be dirty and ill
cared for. The reason for this lies in the
mixed and transient character of their guests
One should also avoid the exceptional occa-
sion" on subrepting the apartment and furni-
ture Of u private French family, for the French
man who rents his own house and personal be-
longings to the foreigner is apt to value them
very much too highly. The best kind Of land
lord is a small or large SPECTATOR. Paris is
city OF apartment houses. Excepting the very
rich. who can afford great houses, few of the
people in the city proper occupy separate
homes. When an investor therefore wishes to
put money into real estate he will need great
deal to build or buy house, as the houses
are all so large. Inevitably a great
deal Of the small capital which in our
country finds investment in real estate must in
Paris seek other and often curious means of
employment. Speculation in leases il favorite
method. A rich insurance company builds a
block OF apartment houses. The speculator
secures one or q number Of the fats on q long
lease Of three, five or ten years, at the lowest
price that will pay the company q steady and
sure income. These he furnishes according to
his taste or disposition. often getting heavy and
rich woodwork from the artistic furniture sales
of the Hotel Druot He then subjects the apart
ment he has furnished and made himself re-
sponsible for, and subjects it ct much higher