Posted by Leonard Steinberg on August 22nd, 2013

Bonjour!

Strolling through the City of Lights is always a treat, and this time is no exception. Here are some Parisian observations that may be of use to us in New York City….

1)   West Chelsea and all of New York need food stores like MONPRIX…..perfectly scaled, clean, contemporary finish out, superb product mix, great finished food section, wine store, functional yet somehow elegant. Citarella comes closest but misses on several fronts. Most importantly these stores are not too small and not too large. Mayoral hopeful Mr. Castimitedes could learn a thing or two, especially in the area of store cleanliness (Do we really want a mayor to manage our city as poorly as he manages his hideous food stores?)

2)  Electric car charging stations: they are everywhere in Paris……the silence of electric cars is immediately noticeable in Paris: our beautiful parks in Manhattan are great, but have you ever noticed how noisy they are? With gas stations being converted to condos at an alarming rate, electrical charging stations seem like the perfect evolution.

3)  Limited garbage cans:  there are fewer of them in Paris, and it seems to encourage people not pile on all their junk as they do in New York, often leaving garbage cans over-flowing and disgusting. We need many lessons in the area of garbage collection in New York…..and France could teach us a thing or two.

4)  Boxwoods:  these highly durable plants are seen everywhere and always add a touch of greenery that simply makes one happy. We are seeing more and more of them in New York, so I say lets double up!  We don’t have that superb Parisian architecture, so any greenery softens the blow of some of our less stellar buildings.

5)  Decorative architecture:  yes, all-glass modernism is wonderful, but there is something remarkably pleasing about more decorative architecture. Granted we do not need to replicate the past, but why not some more modern variations of decorative surfaces to make the base of buildings more appealing?

6)  Awnings and French doors:  Lets face it, there aren’t too many days when you can use a balcony or terrace in New York. A small Juliette balcony with an awning is just so pleasing to the eye…..we need more of these. (coming to 560 West 24th Street, btw…..)

7)  Authenticity:  There are many elements of Paris that are simply PARISIAN. In New York we need to concentrate on things that are uniquely NEW YORK.  I always beg for this with developers, some of whom are intent on bringing Dubai/Beijing/etc to New York……does anyone really want that?  Think Chrysler building….. What about an authentically NEW YORK street lamp? Or bench?  Lets get a bit creative here…..

8)  Scale, simplicity, symmetry and balance: these four elements should be much more carefully evaluated in architectural design: they apply to classicism and modernism alike. Some call it Feng Shui. I call it good design. It works and its seen all over Paris.

More to come and feel free to follow me on INSTAGRAM at:  luxury_loft_team