Door of the Month: 46 rue de Vaugirard

This door is a paradox: old & bold on the exterior and steel & modern on the interior. I love the steel gray lacquer color on the front door and the intricate iron work on the gate with the magnifying glass. The mixed use building is across the street from the Luxembourg Gardens.

46 rue Vaugirard
Metro: St. Sulpice or Odeon

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour
includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Comments

[Lynn]

Thanks for the memories, I use to live at 46 rue de Vaugirard off and on for a number of years. In 1973 when I returned to Paris, 46 rue de Vaugirard was my haven as it was for many young people at the time. It was an international youth hostel where young people from all over the world found a place to stay.

After living in Amsterdam, Rome, and Copenhagen, I returned once again to 46 rue de Vaugirard in 1978 until I moved to Madrid in 1980. Paris beckoned me back and I returned in 1981. Friends on the upper floors were still living there (the lower levels, the dorms, were for young people passing through, those above were for more permanent residents) and every evening in the communal kitchen was an international party!

Later that year, I finally got my own apartment when I decided to make Paris my home permanently, but the memories I have at that address are some of my happiest. Besides, you must admit opening up your window in the morning and seeing the trees from the Luxembourg Gardens as your view was great!

Unfortunately, it is now a part of the Senate and the modern inner doors are relatively new. A security guard on the left now greets you when you enter, but it use to be the office where you could sit and chat and pick up your mail.

The outer doors are the same (except they use to be dark green) but I do like the gray color. I can't tell how many countless number of times I pushed open the door to find a community of friends; some who are still my friends, and others with whom I am still in contact with!

[Uncle Tommy]

I am so saddened to see that the old "Association des Etudiants Protestant de Paris" is no longer at 46 Rue de Vaugirard. A highlight of my life has been my time there in March-April and August 1975 as well as July 1978. The link I am posting has photos from August 1975, taken in the kitchen mostly.

[Lynn]

Uncle Tommy....the kitchen was truly the hangout place for everyone! Not only fixing dinner, but also the camaraderie with other people from around the world, and the jam sessions with musicians, etc., are priceless memories for those of us lucky enough to have experienced those times! It is sad that it's no longer a haven for young travelers.

[manmohan]

Uncle Tommy,
I too lived at 46 at the same time as you did in 1975.I am origionally from India.Do you remember Inge the German lady who ran the place or Madame Gabbi the cleaning lady (how she just hated everyone and vice versa) or Zorro from Yugoslavia,or Ikram from Pakistan. I vaguely remember a Tom who lived in one of the single rooms on the top floor.Maybe that was you.
It truly was a great time,and 46 was probably one of the best foyers in the world.Please try and post the photos again.At present there seems to be a problem.
Best Regards
Manmohan

[Janusz Derkacz]

I was staying at #46 in summer of '73. I remember the big black poodle dog (very friendly). Breakfasts: baguette, jam and milk or chocolate. I even cooked (strictly forbidden)the soup in our room using china cup and submersible water heater. We ate from (washed) ashtrays. True international or maybe International as I was from communist Poland experience. Other room mates were from USA (one musician playing flute on transatlantic, one guy from Texas, one from Hong Kong, one from Chile, another guy also from Poland. The cleaning lady complained that we were drying our laundry in the window; the Palais Luxembourg was accross the street. At that time I paid 24 Fr per night at L'Hotel Progresse (I think it does not exist anymore or changed its name) on Rue Gay Lussac, not far from the location. To save the money, I moved to the hostel where night was 10 or 15 Francs (the dinner in the restaurant on BoulMiche was 8Fr). Who said that Paris is expensive! Why everything good has to change? Great memories