studentsineurope

Pretty Little City: Lodgings at La Cité Internationale, Paris

I stayed in a quaint, independently-owned hotel in the city’s 7th arrondissement during my first week in Paris. It was cozy, warm, stylish and – being on a higher floor – offered an exquisite skyline view.

Cité's student center

It was, therefore, a veritable shock when I arrived at my intended student accommodation. I don’t quite remember the name of the place, but my heart sank when I got off  at the tail end of line 4 to find myself in a pseudo-district that had more in common with inner-city Queens than Paris, France. The city of lights had suddenly turned into the city of frights – I was cautious even to step outside of this unidentifiable hellhole for fear of my personal well-being, while reluctant to stay indoors for sanity’s and aesthetics’ sake. I spent the days leading up to my classes in bed eating oranges and watching DVDs of The O.C., on loan from my German flatmate. California had never looked so good, and I was afraid that my trip would not go at all as planned.

School started the following Monday, and almost immediately I began making acquaintances that would soon become wonderful friends. They all lived in the same place, too – an illusive “cité” that would come up from time to time in conversation but that I had never actually seen, until one day when I joined one of them on their commute home.

It was beautiful – a city in itself comprised of several buildings, each with a country-specific architectural style, centered around a dining hall and library with sprawling greens where students studied and picnicked. The surrounding 14th arrondissement was equally lovely, with a local park and charming houses. Naturally, the minute I heard of a vacancy at Cité Universitaire, I jumped on it.

I knew nothing about La Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris upon leaving for my student travels, but a little information would have saved me the hassle and heartache of leaving my comfortable, habitat-happy friends to head back to my alleyway rat’s nest. Established in 1925, Cité has three school houses and twenty-five international ones – the U.S. and U.K. included.

Cité’s policies can be a bit confusing – for example, despite the fact that I am American I stayed at the Agronomy house, as did many other of the students at my language school. Additionally it should be noted that neither myself nor my friends were pursuing a Master’s degree, though the web site states such as a priority. Rates vary depending on the house, too, and you’ll need to apply to the house in which you wish to stay as opposed to a central Cité application center.

It might take a bit of finagling to get into Cité, but I would highly recommend taking the necessary steps to reserve a room. It’s a beautiful and welcoming environment that serves as a lovely home base for your Parisian sojourn.

Photo courtesy of Hector Zenil-Chavez