Ascenseur

n. – elevator
Elevators in Paris come in various sizes, small, smaller and smallest. On average, there’s room for two people to fit in comfortably, small people that is. Paris is not welcoming to the rotund. In fact, our friends live in a building with an elevator that’s so small, their pregnant neighbor has to fit in sideways.

They are not as automatic as we’re used to at home. Most of the time, you need to open the doors, which can be quite heavy. Some don’t have memories either so since we’re on the top and 7th floor if we get in with someone living on a floor below, they have to push their button first and then we push ours once they’ve gotten off.

The elevators don’t reach the Chambres de Bonnes, which are on the very top floor just under the roofs. These are the old maid’s quarters that are now either owed by the people in the floors just below and assimilated into their apartments or rented out to students since they’re usually less than 100 square feet and as such are reasonably affordable. Of course, they’re uncomfortably cramped under the mansard roofs, freezing in the winter and boiling in the summer, but they offer some of the best bird’s eye views to be found. So for the non-claustrophobic, once the tenants have climbed the eight flights of stairs, in our case, on a temperate spring or fall day, they can enjoy their views over the city.

We’re far more spoiled living next to the top with more space, better protection from the cold and heat and elevator access. That is until the end of June when we just learned the elevator (there is normally only one) will be out of commission for repairs until mid-August. During this time, the bird’s eye view will come with an additional price, but again we have to be thankful that we’re only on the 7th floor.