In the beginning of Midnight in Paris, Gil Pender says, “This is unbelievable! Look at this! There’s no city like this in the world. There never was…Can you picture how drop dead gorgeous this city is in the rain?”
His fiancée Inez replies, “Why does every city have to be in the rain?”
There is no city in the world like Paris. It’s the light. It’s translucent, glowing, a unique combination of backlight and bounce from low buildings, golden monuments, a river that runs through it, northern latitude, a dash of diesel exhaust, slate roofs, gray gravel pathways, skylights, shop windows, a bit of alchemy and lots of romance.
It’s also the style. Words like boutique, salon, artisanal, and salon come to mind. Attention to detail. Mouthwatering pastry shops like Ladurée and Hermé, with macarons arranged like multi-colored pixels. High-end boutiques like Hermes and the French fashion alphabet..Chanel…Dior… A golden glowing night at the Opera with the Delacouxes, Prestons and Parains.
Restaurants on the leading edge of innovation like chef Pierre Gagnaire (originally from near Saint Héand, home of Angéneiux), with constellations of courses, or Napoleonic splendor in historic rooms, or a simple bistro near a rental house that explains why a proper sit-down lunch is almost religiously observed. I met my match in Howard Preston (who took the picture at the very top of this column). The week was like a Hemingway moveable feast with our wives, colleagues and friends. Journalists who have been on the town with Howard’s son Max in Tokyo will appreciate the genetic fortitude of this clan; clients who call Jon Fauer “the good fork” have not met Howard. He is a connoisseur as well as cinematic leading luminary.
Which brings us, by way of introduction, to a refreshingly new and astonishing rental house, Vantage Paris. Howard and I visited their lofty loft-like facility a few days ago. Of course, the light is absolutely beautiful inside.
Vantage Paris opened in Sepember 2011. It is managed by Alexander Bscheidl, above. Alexander was a camera assistant, worked at Vantage Film’s main office in Weiden, moved to Paris, worked at Panavision Paris, and was our gracious host. Take a look at the slideshow below. We’ll get into the details in the next article. It begins with the coffee. One of the best cups in Paris. With Alexander, it’s all about high-end and all about the details.
