The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1546317
I never leave Paris on time. No matter how many times I visit, no matter how carefully I plan my schedule, Paris has a way of convincing me to stay just a little longer. is trip was no exception. Every morning at Villa Marquis, a beautifully restored hôtel particulier tucked between the Eiffel Tower and Avenue Montaigne, I promised myself I'd get an early start. Every morning I lingered. Another coffee. Another look out the window. Another excuse to stay in a room that somehow made the outside world feel less urgent. I've been to Paris more times than I can count, yet every visit feels different. Not because the city changes, but because Paris reveals itself slowly. Just when I think I know it, I discover a new street, a new restaurant, a hidden garden, a small detail I've somehow missed for years. at's the magic of Paris. It never asks for your attention. It simply waits for you to notice. For me, the heart of the city lives in the 7th and 8th arrondissements. It's where I always find myself returning. e streets are elegant without feeling performative. e architecture is impossibly beautiful. e pace is calmer. More intentional. If Manhattan's Upper East Side and Madison Avenue packed their bags and moved to France, this might be the result. From Villa Marquis, everything I love about Paris unfolds effortlessly. Mornings oen began with a walk through quiet streets still waking up for the day. e city feels different before noon. Soer. Less concerned with being photographed. Bakeries pull warm croissants from ovens. Café terraces fill one table at a time. Deliveries arrive. Shopkeepers sweep sidewalks. For a few precious hours, Paris belongs mostly to itself. By lunchtime, the energy shis. At L'Avenue, fashion editors, models, and impeccably dressed Parisians gather as if participating in an unspoken ritual. Nobody appears to be trying, which somehow makes everyone look even better. e people-watching is as memorable as the food. Hours disappear here without warning. "I never leave Paris on time." AMANDA'S PARIS BY AMANDA CALLICCHIO VUENJ.COM 55