Une Petite Histoire Niçoise (A Little Nice Story)

View of the Old Port New Tramway

August is by far the worst time of year to be looking for a property — to rent or purchase. Owners are on vacation, the real estate agencies close or keep minimal staff, the Notaires are at their leanest and even the Chambre de Notaires takes off for the entire month of August. The Paris office declares it shuts down from Friday, August 1st at 1 p.m. till it reopens for business on Monday, September 1st at 9:30 a.m. (See more at paris.notaires.fr/)
On the flip side of that, however, what is on the market is what’s desperate to sell and therefore, bargains can be had. I have one friend who says this is the time of year he’s gotten the best deals and we’ve had clients who profited from the ‘fire sales.’
Unlike Paris which is void of Parisians, Nice is at it’s peak!..But not for looking a property! I’m currently in Nice enjoying the sun and the vacation period (along with the hundreds of thousands of others), staying, of course, in my second home — Le Matisse. It’s a vacation rental apartment that manages to stay so booked up that it’s tough for me to find a few days here and there to enjoy it myself!…And I do grab every chance.
Adjacent to Le Matisse sharing the same entry in our “bourgeois” old building on rue Masséna is La Côte du Paradis,  a gorgeous two-bedroom/two-bath apartment designed a
nd decorated by Martine di Mattéo and Mosaïste Véronqiue Husson, outfitted well for the discerning American traveler.
These are two apartments currently offered by Parler Nice Apartments, but more are on the way. It’s been our goal to develop our luxury rental apartment offerings to North American travelers who  demand  a high American standard. Most of the available properties are owned by the British or the Italians who have a very different idea of ‘luxury.’ We believe a luxury apartment must be beautiful, but also comfortable, well-equipped and fully functional.
How tough is that? For a European owner who hasn’t experienced American ingenuity in the home, tough!
As our clients have been purchasing property in Nice, little by little you will see new properties added to our ‘bouquet.’ In just a short while, you’ll find another one on our site for short-term rental: La Petite Niçoise.

Parler Nice Apartments -La Petite NiçoiseLa Petite Niçoise kitchenView from La Petite Niçoise

It’s “petite,” but it’s perfect for the single traveler. Located on rue Alphonse Karr, in the Quartier des Musiciens, it’s a studio with large window and a lift:
La Petite Niçoise is a bright, happy “petit” studio well located and well suited to a single traveler, although it’s equipped to accommodate two in a pinch. Located on the 5th floor of a classic Art Deco building in the popular Quartier des Musiciens, it’s convenient to markets (a “Casino” supermarket is just on the ground level!), the Nice Ville train station (a few blocks walk), the heart of the shopping district (Commercial Shopping Center Nice Etoile and Monoprix) along avenue Jean-Médecin, the Nice Tramway and still just a few blocks walk to the beach and Mediterranean.
Two possible elevators await you on the mezzanine (one flight of stairs) to rise to the 5th floor and you will immediately be impressed by the beautiful view of Nice. Turn the corner to the right and the first door is La Petite Niçoise, a charming freshly renovated studio that is best for a single, but can accommodate up to two guests.
Decorated in black, white and red, with a large window that lights up the space from morning to night makes the studio as bright and happy as any “petit” studio can be. There is full kitchen with all the necessary appliances for cooking up anything you like and is finished with bright red cabinets. The contemporary full bathroom to the right of the foyer has a shower. In the main room of the apartment is an extremely comfortable single bed with a mattress  18 cm thick made of pure vegetable latex with organic linen and wool coverings. A large closet will house your personal belongings and suitcases.
La Petite Niçoise is missing virtually nothing…and what couldn’t fit in the space is just at ground level — a market and laundromat. With cleverly designed furnishings that convert for multi-purposes, one can make a lavish dinner for four seated around one table or have a full work space at a well-equipped desk. There is enough seating for four and extra mattresses to actually sleep two more guests in a pinch.
While La Petite Niçoise is small, you will never feel confined in this bright, cheery and well-designed space that’s perfect for a single traveling on a budget and wants to experience real life in Nice.
(If you are interested in booking La Petite Niçoise, email [email protected] and they are sure to help you arrange your stay.)
There are several areas of Nice that are best for vacation rental apartments including Vieux Nice (Old Town), the Carré d’Or, the Promenade des Anglais, the Old Port and as we said, the Quartier des Musiciens, where La Petite Niçoise is located.

The Quartier de Musiciens is the area north of the boulevard Victor Hugo and up to the Nice Ville railway station. Here you will find typically Niçoise-style homes with the decor of the Belle Epoque and Art Deco periods as a result of the explosion of development here after 1860. You’ll find an abundance of private palaces along with lots of hotels dating from the early 20th-century. Most of its streets are named after famous musicians. This area offers a pleasant and easy style of life as it is particularly quiet and pretty with lots of green spaces and has all the amenities one would want for a perfect stay. It’s also one of the central city’s least expensive districts, although that is changing rapidly as it discovered and gentrifies.

Another one of our clients is in the process of purchasing a two-bedroom apartment on rue de France — a continuation of my street, rue Masséna, in the Carré d’Or. This is the city’s most expensive district, but worth it as the access to the beach, transportation and amenities is at its best (plus fabulous shopping!) I’ll be back in Nice at the end of the month to finalize the deed of this property and then the renovation will begin to convert what is now a simple space into a luxury apartment of the highest quality. Stay tuned as it will surely end up another ‘flower’ in our ‘bouquet’ well worth renting.

For Sale in Old Port – Apt. on rue Bonaparte Apt. on rue Bonaparte balcony balconyApt. on rue Bonaparte living roomApt. on rue Bonaparte kithcen

For those interesting in an area ‘up-and-coming’ — the Old Port is worth seriously considering. The new West-East Tramway line in progress is one of the reasons, among others, this district is going to greatly increase in value. The Tramway will link the port area of Nice with the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport and the administrative center within 26 minutes! It’s projected to be completed and in operation by the end of 2017.
One of our readers has his port district apartment on the fashionable rue Bonaparte for sale, and recently reduced the price to sell in a month like August — at 199,000€ + Finder’s Fee. Here’s an August opportunity out of the ordinary! I personally love this apartment and believe the potential is amazing for someone willing to do the renovation and hold it long enough to reap the rewards of the new tramway. See our recent Nouvellettre® about it, but remember, the price has been greatly reduced, so this is a golden opportunity.
The last two days here I spent in a car traveling the coastline from Nice to Menton passing along the way all of the beautiful and wealthy enclaves in between, ogling at the villas and garden apartments that are perched to have a sea view. I tried to imagine myself in them, but found it difficult, realizing that trading an apartment in Nice where so much happens within walking distance for a villa in Beaulieu or apartment in Villefranche-sur-Mer where one might need a car to get groceries, would render me helpless.
This is true for the traveler, too. Land yourself in Nice and it’s all here at your footsteps. Want to explore the coast? Rent a car and return it when you want making life on the Côte d’Azur relatively hassle-free. When the rental agencies are just a short block away (like they are for me in central Nice), it’s as simple as it gets.
On September 16th, I’ll be back in Nice and hosting a “mini-conference” to talk about living and investing in France — and particularly life on the Riviera. This is an opportunity to learn how to own a “pied-à-terre” of your own on the Riviera, in Paris or a home in the countryside that you can enjoy when you want…or profitably rent when you like…or just make a smart investment by owning property in France…plus ask all the questions you’ve ever wanted to ask of…me!:
Living and Investing in France Mini-Conference: Nice and the Côte d’Azur The Mini-Conference Tuesday, September 16, 2014 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Hotel Ellington 25 Boulevard Dubouchage, Nice, 06000, France
For more information and to register in advance (at a savings), visit Living and Investing in France Mini-Conference.
Meanwhile, French Property Insider is taking a break from the usual next Thursday while I’m on vacation in Corsica — we publish 50 issues a year FREE, therefore this is one of the two times a year we aren’t. Hope you don’t mind!
A bientôt ,
 Adrian Leeds
The Adrian Leeds Group
(in Nice, of course)
Respond to Adrian: [email protected]

 
P.S. Hot off the press: read my article, “Do Parisians buy property outside of Paris’ Périférique?” in French Today’s blog post.
P.P.S. Don’t miss the newest HGTV House Hunter’s International episode “Finding Happiness in Paris” on August 7, 2014 at 10:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. E/P — mark your calendar and plan to tune in! Visit our Facebook page  and let us know what you think of the latest episode.