The American community in Paris (#1)

 Organizations and available services for Americans visiting or living in Paris :

And also :

 

France Today : a very good American magazine about France, culture and travel with excellent writing.

 Who are they ?    Associations

There is a large American community in Paris (maybe 50,000) and, of course, it is composed of several groups, very different :

  • expats, working for international companies and spending only a few years in France : they often live in Western suburbs, many live among themselves and hardly ever meet French people, except in shops
  • " old timer " expats who moved here to live, often US women married to a Frenchman (see AAWE), they speak good French and know the country well
  • students and young people on a short stay read about studying in Paris)
  • many (thousands of) people who have a second home in Paris and spend a few weeks or a few months every year, often academics (in a little two-room apartment with exposed beams in the Marais) or sometimes New-York bankers (in 2000 sq.ft apartments Avenue Foch)
  • more and more retirees (read about retiring in France)
  • and of course diplomats and US officials

See detailed figures : where they live and where they buy property in Paris.

DID YOU KNOW THAT.... The number of American residents in France is 165,000 (with an estimated 50,000 in Paris) and the number of US visitors is 3 million a year (Source : US Consulate 2003). See the figures about Americans abroad, click here for a list of famous Americans who lived in Paris and read the page about retiring in France. In Paris, American expats live mostly in the West (29%) and in Western suburbs (31%) : see detailed figures. To discover what they like the most in Paris, click here and see a list of illustrious Americans who lived in Paris.

DID YOU KNOW THAT.... In France, the words " city center " (centre ville) and " suburbs " (banlieue) do not connote the same things as in the USA : " city center " connotes comfortable traditional apartments for the middle to upper-middle class whereas " suburbs " often connotes ugly social housing with immigration and crime problems ; the reason for this is that in the 1970s low-income housing constructed around big cities was not accompanied by shopping centers, youth centers, etc... and many young people found themselves with nowhere to meet and nothing to do. Some have risen above the problems inherent in these neglected suburbs, others not. Of course there are centrally located mediocre areas and affluent pretty suburbs (especially in the West of Paris) but as a general rule the image of "suburbs" is not the same in the US and in France. When people refer to "jeunes de banlieue" (literally : kids from the suburbs) , they mean "a gang of hooligans". This is a very unfair stereotype, but it is a fact. Therefore, a headline such as "Suburbian Riots" in the US press in Nov.2005 may be very misleading for the readers : they were riots in the poorest areas. In Paris, many expats live in Western suburbs and most long-time residents live in the center.

Institutions, churches, etc...
 The American Church

 65 Quai d'Orsay 75007 Paris,

Tel.33-(0)1 40 62 05 00

Information Center : tel.33-(0)1 45 56 09 50

All Protestant Denominations. An active meeting place for the international community with a much consulted bulletin board for jobs and rooms. Regular church services and Sunday school. (The American Cathedral 23 Avenue George V is the other major Protestant church in Paris)
 American Embassy & Consulate

 2 rue Saint Florentin 75001 Paris,

Tel.33-(0)1 43 12 22 22

 Self-explanatory!!
 The American Library

 

10 rue du Général Camou 75007 Paris
Tel.33-(0)1 53 59 12 60
 Indispensable if you love to read, don't have zillions of dollars to spend on every book that comes out and are staying in Paris long enough to make it worth your while. Events : "Evening with an Author", "Evening with an Expert", etc... Also great for children. If you're not a member, there is a building use fee.
 AUP (American University of Paris)  31 Avenue Bosquet 75007 Paris, Tel.33-(0)1 40 62 06 00 ; in the USA : tel. 212/983 14 14.  Very well located university, attracting students from all over the world
Read the page about religion in France

 
AARO (Association of Americans Resident Overseas)
Mona Bismarck Foundation
34 avenue de New York
75116 Paris Tel33 (0)1 47 20 24 15

email : aaro@aaro.org

This group is on top of everything Americans need to know about taxes and citizenship in France
 AAWE (Association of American Wives of Europeans)
Mona Bismarck Foundation
34 avenue de New York
75116 Paris
tel (0)1 40 70 11 80
email : aawe@wanadoo.fr
 This group of 600 American women married to Europeans and living permanently in France is active in the fields of bilingualism and citizenship. It publishes and updates key-books on living in France. It sponsors many activities for members' children (Thanksgiving and Halloween), offers scholarships, and holds a largely attended Christmas Bazaar each year
 WICE (Women's Institute of Continuing Education)

20 Bld du Montparnasse 75015 Paris

Tel.33-(0)1 45 66 75 50

An nonprofit cultural and educational association providing courses in Art History, Living and Working in France, History and Culture, Creative Writing workshop, Studio Arts, Languages and TEFL. There are also opportunities for volunteering.
 CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange)

 Tel 33-(0)1 44 41 74 74

or (0)1 58 57 20 50

 Student exchange programs
 AWG (American Women's Group)

32 rue du Général Bertrand 75007 Paris

Tel. 33-(0)1 42 73 36 74 or (0)1 42 73 28 72

email: awgparis@wanadoo.fr

The AWG has been fostering Franco-American ties since 1949. This dynamic group includes both longtime residents and newcomers who find a touch of "home" while learning more about France through a variety of activities and courses.
 American Field Service - Vivre Sans Frontières  46 rue du Commandant Jean Duhail 94132 Fontenay-sous-Bois Runs international exchange programs for 15 to 18 year olds. 25 local committees in France.
Association France- Amériques

 9/11 av.Franklin D.Roosevelt 75008 Paris

Tel. 33-(0)1 43 59 51 00

 A well established association in a beautiful 18th Century building, ideal for Franco-American social and professional events.
 Franco- American Commission For Educational Exchange

 9 rue Chardin 75016 Paris Tel. 33-(0)1 45 20 46 54

or (0)1 44 14 53 60

For U.S. candidates wishing to attend French Universities (and French students who want to study in the U.S.)
 Anglo- American Press Association of Paris  c/o Elisa Kitson 7 rue Tardieu 75018 Paris  visit the AAPA website

 And also :

  • Saint Joseph's Church, 50 avenue Hoche 75008 Paris Tel. 33-(0)142 27 28 56 (Roman Catholic Church) houses ACWO (the American Catholic Women's Organization of Paris)
  • An Anglophone synagogue
  • An The French-American Foundation (FAF), Comité Français 21 bld de Grenelle 75015 Paris (fafparis@aol.com, tel. 01 45 77 40 01) and in New York (Tel.212-288 4400, email french_amerfdn@msn.com) : many events, with prominent speakers, some interesting initiatives to make both business worlds understand each other better (and a guide book of useful addresses)
  • French American Center, Espace Pierre Cardin, 1 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris
  • Association France-Amérique 9 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 75008 tel 33-(0)1 43 59 51 00 is a club (with a restaurant), in a very beautiful mansion which hosts several other Franco-American organizations
  • The French-American Guide (see Bibliography) provides a useful list of organizations in Paris.
  • More to come
 

 And also :

  • BCWA (The British and Commonwealth Women's Association in Paris), 157 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré 75008 Paris, Tel. 33-(0)1 47 20 50 91
  • The American Club 34 avenue de New York 75116 Tel (0)1 47 23 64 36, founded in 1777, a club for high-level business contacts
  • Universities Alumni Groups : Berkeley (0)1 46 07 00 43, Boston Univ. (0)1 44 62 20 53, Bryn Mawr (0)1 40 56 06 18, Columbia (0)1 43 35 44 63, Georgetown (0)1 47 27 48 43, Harvard (0)1 60 72 43 78, M.I.T. (0)1 40 56 03 23, Paris Alumni Network (0)1 39 67 72 27, Princetown (0)1 45 49 04 75, Stanford (0)1 45 53 28 84, Wellesley (0)1 45 53 00 42, Yale (0)1 48 04 51 75
  • More to come

 

 

 Schools and universities    

 Ecole Active Bilingue  117 Boulevard Malesherbes 75008 Paris Tel. 33-(0)1 45 63 62 22  
 Lycée International, American Section  BP 230 78104 Saint Germain en Laye Tel. 33-(0)1 34 51 74 85  The French high school system with, in addition to it, an excellent American section (among others). Located in a very nice small town, 20 minutes from Paris by metro.
 The American School

 41 rue Pasteur 92210 Saint-Cloud

Tel. 33-(0)1 47 20 22 51

 A friendly school offering a very American atmosphere
 The American University of Paris (AUP)

 6 rue du Colonel Combes 75007 Paris Tel : 33-(0)1 40 62 07 20

US Office : 950 South Cherry Str., Suite 210 Denver Colorado 80246

Tel : (303) 757 6333

 A unique university attended by students from all over the world. Very interesting Summer programs and programs for adults. All courses in English. AUP has a very ambitious program of expansion on a new site.
Schiller International University (SIU)

9 rue Yvart, 75015 Paris

Telephone: 33 (0)1 45 38 56 01

SIU Paris is part of SIU's worldwide network of seven campuses which provide students with business and diplomacy courses based on the US higher education system.
To know more about French universities, visit the site of the Sorbonne (in English

Read the page about French education

 

And also :

  • American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy (AGSIRD), Alliance Française Building - 101, boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris Telephone: 33 (0)1 47 20 00 94, AGSIRD offers US-accredited MAs, as well as PhD programs, in the field of International Relations and Diplomacy. It combines American teaching (dialogue, individual attention, out of the classroom observation) with the rich resources of Paris.
  • Marymount School, 72 boulevard de la Saussaye 92200 Neuilly/Seine, 33-(0)1 46 24 10 51
  • Pre-school and primary : Ecole internationale Malherbe, 19, rue du 11 novembre, 78110 Le Vésinet tel 33-(0)1 39 76 47 37
  • A small bilingual international school near Paris (in the Yvelines)
  • The American Business School in Paris
  • More to come
To related pages : American-run businesses in Paris, American writers (#2), to Shopping in Paris (#5), to American corporations (#4), favorite links, etc...

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Harriet Welty Rochefort writes articles and books about France and the French. Order her books :

  • "French Toast, An American in Paris Celebrates The Maddening Mysteries of the French", St.Martin's Press, New York, 1999
  • "French Fried, The Culinary Capers of An American in Paris", St.Martin's Press, New York, 2001

More on Harriet's books (excerpts, upcoming events, testimonials, etc..)

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