Originally posted June 14, 2017
As an American adjusting to Parisian living, it’s worth pointing out that living in a suburb like Neuilly-sur-Seine makes a major, positive impact. It’s safe, it’s quiet and most people speak English enough so they understand my broken French.
If I do want to go out to the hot spots in Paris—whether it be the first arrondissement or the trendier Canal St. Martin—everything in the city is only a metro ride away.
- What’s it like to live in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France?
- What’s the commute between Neuilly-sur-Seine from Paris, France?
- Where to run errands in Neuilly-sur-Seine
What’s it like to live in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France?
There’s an illustration in Paris vs. New York: A Tally of Two Cities that assigns Parisian arrondissements to their New York counterparts. You can read how some of the neighborhoods matched up, but the author paired Neuilly-sur-Seine and Boulogne-Billancourt with Central Park.
If I had to pair Neuilly-sur-Seine with a town in Connecticut, it would be Greenwich.
It’s easier to say that I live in Paris, then clarify later in the conversation that I live in a Parisian suburb. Otherwise, I’d spend too much time coaching each one of my friends and family members how to pronounce Neuilly-sur-Seine (new-yee sewer sen is the best pronunciation I can come up with for American English).
What’s the commute between Neuilly-sur-Seine from Paris, France?
Neuilly-sur-Seine is very close to Paris.
Technically, it’s only a 10-minute walk to the Paris city line, but to reach the heart of Paris, it’s a 15-minute metro ride on Line 1. For speed walkers, it’s a 20-minute walk to the Arc de Triomphe.
The easy metro commute from Neuilly-sur-Seine to Paris or La Défense, a major business district west of Paris, makes the area desirable for people who work in the city but prefer to live in a quieter neighborhood—pretty much the same reason why people live in Fairfield County, Connecticut or Westchester County, New York, then commute to New York City.
Where to run errands in Neuilly-sur-Seine
Où faire les courses ?
Neuilly-sur-Seine city center is basically along Avenue du Roule—you’ll find pretty much everything you could possibly need there or along Avenue Charles de Gaulle.
One of the hardest adjustments of moving from the United States to Paris was figuring out where to run errands.
It’s less expensive to go shopping at La Defense, but it can be a pain to go there from Neuilly-sur-Seine every day to buy groceries. I was left asking myself if I should go to the Carrefour City down the street or the Monoprix by the metro? How does shopping at the French market work? Where am I supposed to get a bikini wax?!
Of course there are other shops to check out, but these are the ones that I’ve had success with:
Supermarché (supermarket)
- Monoprix
- Usually the most expensive supermarché, but has superior quality and their generic brands have very reasonable prices; home delivery is available; also sells home goods, beauty, and apparel
- 72-80 avenue Charles de Gaulle
- Metro: Les Sablons, exit Louis Philippe
Marché (market)
- Marché de Neuilly-sur-Seine
- The city’s local market is held Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from early in the morning until roughly 13h
- Place du Marché (this blog post features some photos of the market)
- Metro: Les Sablons, exit Place du Marché
Boulangerie, option 1 (bakery)
- Boulangerie de Sablonville
- All of the amazing French pastries and bread you could want, but the pain au chocolat is special and unlike anywhere else
- 33 rue de Sablonville
- Metro: Les Sablons, exit Place du Marché
Boulangerie, option 2
- Maison Lepareur
- My boyfriend’s coworkers who live in Neuilly-sur-Seine unanimously agreed that this is the best bakery in the city, the baguette, and pastries are even more unreal than the typical French bakery
- 25 rue du Château
- Metro: Pont de Neuilly, exit rue du Château
Pressing (dry cleaning)
- 5 à Sec
- The commercial chain is pretty straightforward, just like a dry cleaner in the United States. FYI, if you’re taking a suit, they ask if you want a basic pressing or a cleaning and pressing
- 39 rue de Sablonville
- Metro: Les Sablons, exit Place du Marché
Fleuriste (florist)
- Happy
- Beautiful, fresh flower bouquets to bring to parties or brighten up the apartment
- 2 Bis rue du Château
- Metro: Pont de Neuilly, exit rue du Château
Épilation du Maillot et Ongles (bikini waxing and nails)
- duboutdesongles
- Found this salon through Treatwell, an app that locates deals on spas and hairdressers in Paris, and was impressed with the service (FYI French bikini waxes are way less painful than American ones)
- 10 rue Louis Philippe
- Metro: Les Sablons, exit Louis Philippe
La Piscine (pool)
- Centre Aquatique de Neuilly-sur-Seine
- While this isn’t exactly an everyday errand, this is good to know if you’re looking to cool off during the summer
- 27-31 Boulevard d’Inkermann
New England Parisienne 
This looks like a really cute little place to visit! I’ve only ever been to Paris itself but I’m really hoping to return to France soon and I’ll have to remember this.
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The cool thing about Neuilly-sur-Seine is that it’s on the Line 1 for the Paris Metro! Jardin d’Acclimation and Bois de Boulogne, the parks nearby, are worth a visit alone!
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