Paddington is like Paris

One of the first things I noticed about Paddington is how much it is like (what I know about) Paris.

I am a self-confessed Francophile. I love the language, the country, the cheese, the wine and the food. (Well, most of the food - when eating in France it does help to know enough "menu French" to stop oneself ordering tête de veau and other traditional French dishes that the typical 21st century Australian palate finds, frankly, unpalatable.)

Some of the things I do know about Paris are some things I've noticed that Paddington shares. For a start, the housing is medium density and people live in beautiful, old, multi-storeyed homes.

Admittedly, our definition of "old" is a little different than a Parisian's, but old for Australia anyway. 

There are narrow streets and laneways, with cars parked very close together.  Despite parking being sometimes difficult here, Paddington drivers haven't yet resorted to the Parisian habit of touch parking, for which our car bumper bars are daily grateful.

People have dogs who, like Parisian dogs, have learnt to relieve themselves on footpaths. Since I walk to do my grocery shopping (like many Parisians), that Paddington dog owners tend to clean up after their dogs more often than Parisians means that I only have to navigate the tree root lumpy footpaths, without also having to constantly dodge doggy done-it. My feet and the wheels of my beautiful orange granny trolley say "Dog owners, thank you!".

Like Parisians, people in Paddington ride bikes.  Even though this bike was parked outside Thomas Dux while its rider was inside, quite possibly buying bread, I haven't yet seen anyone in Paddington riding a bike with a fresh baguette under their arm. And Paddington cyclists tend to wear bike helmets, which are unheard of in Paris (or at least they were when I was there, scaring myself by cycling around the very busy Place de la Bastille). A bike helmet would ruin one's coiffure, after all!

There are stylish women (think Oxford Street), French restaurants (think L'Etoile

and Vamps at the Five Ways) and lots of cafes. Paddington definitely shares Paris' coffee culture. At those cafes, people eat outside, on the footpaths, sometimes even sitting on cute wicker chairs at white linen tableclothed tables!

 

Like Paris, the shops in Paddington are small, interesting and open on to the streets, not housed in large, bland, homogenous shopping centres.

People speak French.

Ok, some of us are learning to; those who actually speak French are probably not Paddington Francophiles like me, but actually French. I have a tradesman called Jean-Claude, with a delicious French accent.








There's even a shop called Paris in Paddington!

Can any of my followers suggest other examples of how Paddington is like Paris?

On a final note, this Paddington Francophile is actually taking herself off to France (and one or two other parts of Europe) for two months. I will look for things in Europe that remind me of Paddington so that I can blog about those. Otherwise, I look forward to being back blogging in and about Paddington in mid-October.

So, where do you do your shopping?

Most Sydneysiders would probably think of Paddington as synonymous with shopping. Picture women in "street style" fashion, wandering along Oxford Street, arms laden with glossy carrier bags.

With that image in mind, you might wonder why, since I moved to Paddington, every single one of my female friends has asked me "So, where do you do your shopping?". Of course, they're not picturing glossy carrier bags containing the latest designer fashion. No, they're picturing something a little more mundane - plastic or "green" bags filled with groceries. Think shallots not shoes; sweet potato not sweaters; detergent not dresses; carrots not carats. Indeed, this necessary shopping question was one I asked myself before moving here.

Since, everyone (well the women, anyway) has asked, I'll give you all an answer. As I say in my profile one of the pre-moving-here things I knew about Paddington was that parking is difficult. With that in mind, I decided I would want to do as many as possible of my regular chores on foot. That way I get the triple benefits of not stressing myself out looking for a park, adding some incidental exercise into my day, and getting to see more of my new suburb, all at the same time. So, to do (most of) my shopping I use this

and these .



When I told my daughter I was buying a "granny trolley" to do my groceries, she was horrified, saying "Oh mum, you can't possibly use a granny trolley in Paddington!", in her most derisive tone of voice. I know she was just concerned to make sure I didn't embarrass myself by being too daggy in front of my Paddington neighbours. But, she needn't have worried. While it wouldn't be fair to say that everyone has one, granny trolleys are nevertheless common, well-accepted shopping equipment in Paddington, and by no means daggy. They gain extra kudos by having the "green" benefit of allowing you to do your shopping without using a single grocery bag, plastic or otherwise.

I then had to decide where I would take my beautiful orange granny trolley. When we bought our terrace, we saw a building at the end of our street emblazoned with the words "IGA Opening Soon". Their definition of soon and mine must be a little different, because eight months later it's still not open. Never mind. There is an IGA on Oxford Street, but it's down the other end of Oxford Street to me and, truthfully, I haven't been inside it yet. Nor have I found a large grocery store in Paddington.

There is, however, a Thomas Dux at the Five Ways, about a seven minute walk for myself and my trolley.

Five Ways' Thomas Dux supplies most of my fruit, veg, dairy, bread, eggs, etc. Meat might come from Thomas Dux or the wholesale butcher conveniently located in my own street about two minutes' walk away. To date, fish has been lovingly hand caught in Darwin by my best friend and her husband, and brought down for my freezer. Sometimes I will venture across to the Entertainment Quarter markets at Moore Park for organic fruit and veg. I haven't yet walked there, but I should give it a go; I expect it would take about half an hour, so no buying anything too perishable then walking home on a hot summer's day.

The rest of the groceries, I have to admit, take me out of Paddington, usually in my car. Depending on my mood and what else I might be doing this might involve Coles at Edgecliff, Coles at Kings Cross (a truly interesting experience), or Woolworths at Woolloomooloo, Double Bay or Bondi Junction. As with so many of my new neighbourhood discoveries, I'm enjoying finding my way around and creating new grocery shopping habits for myself.