April in Paris, Nice in Nice

REALIZE YOUR DREAM OF LIVING IN FRANCE

Last week we met on Zoom for a one-hour webinar, sponsored by Dunhill Financial, titled “Realize Your Dream of Living In France With Adrian Leeds,” with Brian Dunhill and myself. It was a lively conversation about the virtues of living in France and how to go about making that happen, as well as answering questions from the audience.

If you missed being there for it in real time, no sweat. You can watch it any time on our YouTube channel.

HAPPY WITH HOCKNEY

I met artist David Hockney at an AIDS fundraiser party in Los Angeles, circa 1993, at the home of famous director in the Hollywood Hills. It was a star-studded event that I will never forget, Hockney being one of the illustrious guests. (The roster would blow your mind, as it did mine at the time.) The pool around which the party was held was pictured in a few paintings by Hockney and later made quite famous, “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” being one of them. That evening, I blubbered all over him extolling my love of his work and he shyly thanked me and walked away. I don’t blame him one bit, but it was one of those moments that will stick in my mind forever. Every time I see the painting, I can’t help but remember that moment and him.

The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris is currently hosting “David Hockney 25,” the most comprehensive retrospective ever dedicated to the British artist. It just opened and is on till August 31st. The exhibition spans seven decades of Hockney’s prolific career, featuring over 400 works sourced from international museums, private collections, and the artist’s own studio, all on four levels—each space meticulously curated with his direct involvement, offering an immersive journey through his artistic evolution.​ ​Be prepared to be there for many hours enjoying every one of the 400.

A significant focus is placed on Hockney’s digital creations from the past 25 years, including iPad drawings (how he does them fascinates me) and immersive video installations showcasing his continual experimentation with new media. ​The exhibition crosses over various themes and periods, from early portraits and depictions of gay life in the 1960s to vibrant landscapes of California, Yorkshire, and Normandy, reflecting his enduring exploration of nature, perspective, and art history. ​

The press considers Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) as one of their most renowned. “Bigger Trees Near Water,” a monumental 12-meter-wide painting will astound you, how from a distance it almost looks like a photo, but getting up close is what’s most intriguing.

In a word, I found the exhibition very “happy!” If you don’t find yourself smiling in awe throughout the exhibition (like I did), then something is wrong! It was certainly one of the finest exhibitions I’ve seen at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, if not in my lifetime! Don’t miss it.

LEGER AT THE LUXEMBOURG

It’s a perfect time of year to head to the Musée du Luxembourg and the Jardin du Luxembourg as the flowers are in full bloom and the trees are thick with fresh bright green leaves. It couldn’t be more beautiful and a perfect backdrop to see “Tous Léger!,” running till July 20th. The vibrant showcase celebrates the enduring influence of artist Fernand Léger, a pioneer of modern art, by placing his works in a kind of dialogue with those of subsequent artists from the Nouveau Réalisme and American Pop Art movements. Artists such as Niki de Saint Phalle, Yves Klein, Martial Raysse, Arman, César, Roy Lichtenstein, and Keith Haring are included.

It’s a small exhibition of about 100 works (so you need not take as much time or energy as visiting Hockney at the Louis Vuitton), but full of life and a fun stroll before heading out to the gardens. It’s all worth a special trip!

WE’VE FOUND OUR IDEAL FRENCH CITY

There’s a lot of talk out there about “The enthusiasm of Americans traveling or expatriating to Nice: ‘We’ve found our ideal French city,’” according to Le Monde, and Connexion with their article, “Americans moving to France are increasingly choosing Nice.”

Le Monde’s Jessica Gourdon (Nice, special correspondent) interviewed me for her article and in turn I sent her to several of our happy clients who were also quoted in her article:

“Nice is so popular with Americans that it’s home to a growing community of expatriates, like Jacob, 40, a doctor from Nashville, Tennessee, who has moved to Nice with his family for a sabbatical year. ‘The city is beautiful, the food is delicious, there’s an international airport,’ he justifies. With his wife, they have bought an apartment near Place Masséna: they plan to move there when their children are older. Every Friday evening, they meet up with around fifty compatriots who have settled in the city, to share a picnic. Many of them are recent arrivals, helped by Adrian Leeds, a real estate agent specializing in this clientele. ‘Over the past three years, demand for Nice has exploded. Whereas before most of my customers went to Paris, now Nice accounts for a third of my business. I’m expecting to have a hundred Americans here by 2024,’ she says. ‘We’ve found our ideal French city,’ agrees An Scott, who moved to Nice last year with her husband, a retired architect. “There’s the sea, good hospitals, we can get around without a car… And we spend almost half as much as in Florida!” sums up this retiree, who documents her ‘golden years’ in France on a YouTube video channel. These expatriates also fuel tourism: family and friends come to visit them all year round.”

Connexion picked up a lot of that, then added to it and quoted us from Le Monde! The journalists give a lot of reasons for Nice seeing such a boom, but what they failed to realize is how much influence we (the Adrian Leeds Group team) have had on that.

Before I bought a pied-à-terre in Nice and began touting its virtues, Nice was virtually unknown by Americans. The Friday night “Apéro” the article talks about is an unofficial gathering started by one of our staff, Ella Dyer, mostly attended by our happy clients! It was my goal as long ago as 2012 to build a community there. By writing about it regularly, offering real estate finding services, developing Fractional Ownership properties in and around Nice, and convincing our readership that it was worth a serious consideration…I’m not so sure the boom would have happened so easily and quickly without our help!

I’ve seen the explosion take place before my very eyes! And now I spend about 50% of my time in the Riviera town. I call it “my idea of heaven.” While Paris is the cultural Mecca of the planet and exhibitions like “David Hockney 25” don’t happen often in Nice, the Mediterranean landscape and all of its assets and virtues will make your cares melt away. It’s an ideal spot for retirees who want an easy, carefree place to live with all the benefits of a big city but without the stress of urbanity. Kudos to Mayor Christian Estrosi who has turned it into such a heaven.

For example, an article just appeared in Nice-Matin, “La zone piétonne de Nice va subir un lifting, la mairie recueille les avis des Niçois avant de lancer les travaux.”

(Translation: “Nice’s pedestrian zone to get a facelift: town hall seeks residents’ opinions before starting work.”)

“Ce secteur-clé de Nice a grand besoin d’un coup de neuf. Mais le chantier de requalification devra composer avec les impératifs des uns et des autres. La consultation publique est lancée ce jeudi.”

(Translation: “This key area of Nice is in dire need of a facelift. But the redevelopment project will have to accommodate the needs of all concerned. The public consultation is launched this Thursday.”)

I live on this street—rue Masséna. In fact, the photo published by Nice-Matin happens to show my building! I am thrilled at the prospect of a face lift, but wish I had a voice in what they will do to improve it! Writing a letter to Monsieur Le Maire is high on my list to express my opinion! Once again, thank you M. Estrosi for ceaselessly making improvements to what is already a wonderful town!

(Special Note: If you are interested in learning more about life in Nice, we can really help you discover it! Email us to learn more.)

GET ME OUTTA HERE!

Dinner with an old friend who I hadn’t seen in literally years, and who has moved to Paris full time, talked about her 55 page book titled Get Me Outta Here!: Beginners Guide to Moving to France—a Kindle Edition
by Shelley Bradford Bell.

“France and for me, Paris, is a delight to the senses. It is the subtleties that make French culture so special and admittedly sometimes strange and difficult.”

Shelley is so right when she goes on to further explain, “I moved to Paris to live my dream, but now people are trying to move here to escape a nightmare. France is not for escaping. France is a place where you move to experience the pleasures of life. France is a delight to the senses. The sounds, sights, smells, tastes and texture of life. France is not for running away from something. France is for reveling in the joie de vivre—the joy of life.”

The consultations that Patty Sadauskas and I do every day reiterate this sentiment. Virtually with every meeting, we hear “Get Me Outta Here!” Shelley put it into words. She goes on to say, “PLAN! Do not panic. Do not rush a process that must not be rushed, or the move could prove a horrible mistake. Calmly and logically develop a strategy. Don’t react, don’t panic, don’t flee.”

And as she proudly told me, she recommends people like us who can make it happen easier and smoother. Here’s how you get her book.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, PATTY!

Patty Sadauskas landed in France on April 14th, 2015. We had a lunch date on April 15th as she had responded to a P.S. in a Nouvellettre® I had posted looking for an assistant. She had the credentials, emailed me on a whim, and at that lunch, I recruited her…just like that.

Patty never dreamed what the rest of her life would look like after having taken the leap to move to France from Kansas City. She stayed in Paris for a few years, then took a home in Nîmes while keeping her Paris apartment and traveling back and forth. Then not long after a very hot summer when Nîmes reached 111.9°F on June 28, 2019), she moved to Nice over Thanksgiving weekend in 2020, during the Covid-19 health crisis, gave up the Paris apartment, and never looked back.

International Living chronicled all this in an article in December 2022 written by by Tuula Rampont. She now celebrates 10 years in France and 10 years devoted to the Adrian Leeds Group, now as a fellow consultant, operations manager, jack-of-all trades and chief-cook-and-bottle-washer. (Patty knows the business better than I do!)

This is a special thanks to Patty Sadauskas for all of her hard work, amazing talents to assist our clients and never-ending loyalty.

Happy Anniversary, Patty!

LABOR DAY ON THE COULEE VERTE

Ask an American in Paris what they’re doing on Labor Day (May 1st) and they will likely say, “working.”

Almost every year I would organize a picnic on May 1st for just that reason—because if I didn’t take the break, I’d end up working, too, just like the rest of us poor American workaholics. But in France, holidays are sacred. In fact, it’s so sacred that the city of Nice shuts down its transportation on May 1st! Can you imagine?

When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the day between the weekend and the holiday gets tacked on to “faire le pont”—‘make the bridge,’—so that a long weekend is possible. They will take every opportunity to take off from work. (They have the right idea.) In the upcoming month of May, there are four holidays: May 1—Labor Day or May Day, May 8—WWII Victory Day, May 25—Mother’s Day and May 29—Ascension Day. Victory Day and Ascension both fall on a Thursday, so they’re destined to be “faire le pont” kinds of weekends. Offices will be closed and people will head out of town.

Even though this coming Labor Day does not constitute a “faire le pont,” I’m resurrecting my Annual Picnic by hosting it in Nice this year on the Coulée Verte (Promenade de Paillon) in a central location so that most picnickers can easily walk to it…since there will be no public transportation.

You are welcome to join us! Bring your own picnic goodies, something to spread out on the grass, and your good cheer. Join us for some unstructured good times. I’ll be there from 12 noon onward…and you can show up any time you like. Anyone and everyone is invited. There are no limits to how many people we can fit on the grass!

You’ll find us in the quadrant between rues Alberti and Gubernatis, where there are trees for some shade and close to the statue of Marshal André Masséna. See the maps here for a more precise location. There is no need to email me to RSVP! You either come or you don’t. And bring as many friends as you like or show up alone!

See you there on Labor Day!

MEET THE AUTHORS 2025

Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 3 to 5 p.m. (doors open at 2:45 p.m.), join Founder and Host Ella Dyer upstairs at Le Carré d’Or in Nice to meet a group of local authors, and to discover their books and their stories. They will talk about their recent works, read a bit from them, and answer your questions. You will have an opportunity to purchase their books and get signed copies! Emcee of the event is Lisa Anselmo, Author, speaker, coach, and branding expert who will also share her own experiences.

Authors on the roster this year are (in alphabetical order):

• Sarah Anderson: Aix Marks the Spot
• Whitney Cubbison: Will There Be Wine?, Will There Be Love?
• Cécile Olivéro: Abigaïl
• Doctors Suzanne Saxe-Roux and Jean P. Roux: Courage and Croissants
• Claudette Wells: Fine French Dogs

Authors will have a few of their books for purchasing and signing, but to be sure, you may want to pre-order your copy and bring it with you for your own personal signed copy!

Participation is free (but we ask that you purchase at least one drink to show the host venue how much we appreciate their hospitality). Don’t miss this special event in Nice! No need to register in advance.

For more information, visit our site or email Ella Dyer.

A la prochaine…