Coveted People: Maya from La Vie Locale

This post is the first in a new series called “Coveted People,” which will feature conversations with awesome people following their passions in cities around the world!

Meet Maya, a Californian expat based in Paris and the creator of La Vie Locale, a blog that illustrates her life in the City of Light. From discovering non-touristy hotspots to sharing her tips on how to navigate the city as a newcomer, her blog is a definite must for all Paris aficionados. Lucky for us, Maya takes a moment to chat about her life in France, her latest project, and her favourite local nooks.

1. You’re originally from L.A. and now living in Paris. How did your love affair with the city come about and how did you decide to make the big move?
It’s funny actually. I never really had a love affair with Paris before moving here. I was actually living in the south of Spain in Sevilla for a year, just to take a year off between going back to school to travel and improve my Spanish. During my year in Spain, I had the opportunity to travel to many places in Europe and decided I wasn’t ready to go back home. I wanted to start a Masters program and found the perfect program here in Paris. It didn’t hurt either to be closer to my BF who was living in Lyon at the time. So that is pretty much how I ended up here.

2. What prompted you to start writing about Paris, particularly about “local Paris”?
Well, I had been living in Paris for almost three years when I decided to start La Vie Locale. I realized I had been here and I wasn’t documenting my experience here at all. Not on Facebook, Instagram, nothing. After I finished my Masters I had more time to really explore and discover Paris. There is so much to this city that goes beyond the picture perfect postcard images of Paris. So that sparked my interest to start sharing my local discoveries/everyday encounters via a blog. I also wanted to kind of compile all the practical resources I have discovered since moving here, to help people with their transition moving to Paris as well.

3. How would you define La Vie Locale?
La Vie Locale is an outlet to showcase my journey of discovering what life is like living in Paris as a local. The goal is to share unique things to do and see, resources for people planning to move to Paris, as well as a series of profile pieces on the many interesting people that make up this city, and my random encounters.

4. You recently published an illustrated coffee guide called Paris Cafés from A to Z – can you tell me a little bit more about this project? Why coffee?
Paris Cafés from A to Z is a collaborative project that I started with an illustrator named Yukiko. At the time, she had an assignment to work on a project to create a typographic alphabet based on a theme. She chose coffee for her love for coffee, and to discover places in Paris. She asked me if I would help her to come up with a list of cafes. From there the project evolved and we decided to take things a step further and create an illustration themed to cafes in Paris for every letter of the alphabet.

5. Your top 5 “Coveted Places” in Paris?
1. La Recyclerie is one of my favorite places in Paris. It’s a cool space to grab a drink, brunch and take advantage of their community workshop space to work on your DIY projects, or use their community garden (there are even chickens there).
2. Montmartre is a great neighborhood to just roam around and explore.
3. Parc des Buttes Chaumont is a beautiful park in Paris often overlooked by visitors but definitely worth exploring.
4. Marché des Enfants Rouge is a great outdoor market to find any type of food you are craving.
5. Holybelly is by far my favorite place to brunch in Paris. There is always a long line so get there early, it is definitely worth the wait.

6. Finally, what advice do you have for people who want to move to Paris?
If you want to move to Paris for whatever the reason, there is really something here for everyone. I find Paris to be a place that challenges you and brings out the best in you. You have access to so many cultural activities, people from all over the world, you get to discover a new language, the food is amazing, and overall there is a lot to offer here. However, life here isn’t always easy, and it really helps to plan a little bit before moving financially and mentally. But don’t over plan, you can figure out a lot of things once you arrive, but for a matter of sanity it helps to have a few ducks in a row before moving.

Read Maya’s stories on her blog and follow her on Facebook & Instagram!

Photos courtesy of Maya Dorsey