Cheap Art: Madame Moustache

("Memories are like old mustard: if it doesn't sting anymore, it's obsolete." By Madame Moustache)

Madame Moustache is a Parisienne street artist whose work has popped up on walls all over the city, mostly in the hip neighborhoods of the 11th, 18th and 20th arrondissements. Madame Moustache creates her detailed and busy collages from objects, images and words culled from magazines from the '60s and '70s and whips them into cool, interesting and (most of all) funny works of art that give a wink to our notions of gender, power and relationships. 

Free Concerts: Festival Jazz Saint-Germain-Des-Prés 2013

(Photo of Bob Wilber (l) and Sidney Bechet (r) via Jazz Masters)

May is a great time in Paris, as it kicks off the free music season. It all begins with the annual Festival Jazz Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a 2.5-weeklong fiesta of all forms of the art from swing to gypsy to modern ("cool") jazz in an assortment of concerts all over Paris (many of which are free). This year the festival celebrates its 13th edition with concerts at the Luxembourg gardens, at the Center for Irish Culture (a swing ball!), at the Oceanic Institute, at Starbucks, even at Orly airport. I will definitely dig the tributes to Sidney Bechet (Woody Allen's favorite jazz artist) and Django Reinhardt. To see the festival's entire lineup, head to the website and plan your jazz appreciation!

Festival Jazz Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Prices vary, many concerts FREE
Thursday, 16 May - Monday, 3 June
Various Locations

Quiet Paris (With Special Reader Discount!)

(Image via Paris Imperfect)

With over 2 million residents and a whopping 42 million visitors each year, Paris tucks a lot of humanity into its 20 arrondissements. From the crowded Métro at 6pm to endless lines of people filing in and out of its landmarks, it's easy to feel overwhelmed in this city. (To note: I went to City Pharma one Tuesday afternoon and nearly had a panic attack from the masses of discount beauty-seeking women).

But Siobhan Wall sees beyond all that. The writer/photographer has the enviable job of traveling the globe in search of nooks and crannies of quiet and calm in the world's most famous cities. After gaining recognition for her books Quiet London and Quiet Amsterdam, Wall has taken on the City of Light with her third in the series, Quiet Paris.

Cheap Drinks: Marlusse et Lapin

(Hey, that guy's kinda cute, I should have talked to him)

Though South Pigalle is the hot new area for hipsters and dive bars these days, I'd advise you to venture a bit northward on your next visit to the red light district of Paris and snag a cheap drink at Marlusse et Lapin. This unassuming neighborhood spot is just far enough up the street from Pigalle to escape the creepy leering men beckoning you into strip clubs, and offers ridiculously affordable drinks in its snug and old-fashioned imbibing space. Grandma wallpaper and even a table centered around an old sewing machine set the decidedly un-hookerish vibe at Marlusse et Lapin, and with friendly and fun bartenders serving up glasses of wine and beers at less than 3€, there's no better spot in the area to have a cozy drink to get your night started (or ended).

Marlusse et Lapin
14 rue Germain Pilon 75018 Paris
Métro: M2 to Abbesses, M2/M12 to Pigalle

Coming Home

Though I didn't say so here on Paris Cheapskate, I spent three months last fall and winter bouncing around between Paris, New York and Arizona. The result was a new perspective on what it means to come home, and even what home, itself, is. If you'd like to read more about that, I'm thrilled to have an essay about it featured on the fantastic site Narratively. Tell a friend!

Pro Tip: Cosem Paris Walk-In Clinics

(It won't be like this... but the Google Image Search was too awesome. Illustration via Pulp International)

Here is one Paris pro tip that seemed too important not to share but one I hope you'll never need: how to find non-emergency medical help in Paris.

Disquaire Day 2013

Say what you will about it being a dying breed, but I read recently that vinyl record sales have been increasing since 1993 and continue to do so, particularly spiking in sales over the last couple of years. That news makes a hipster like me very happy, as I am comforted in the knowledge that the soft whir of dust noise and forced order of songs (complete with intermission as you turn the vinyl over to Side B) may continue to prosper, at least for a little while longer. For fellow hopeless nerds, rejoice in Record Store Day, known as Disquaire Day here in Paris, a celebration of record stores. All over town, record stores will have special prices on certain vinyls and some will even have live performances. For a complete guide to celebrating Disquaire Day in Paris, check out my article on Girls' Guide To Paris, and to find out how to celebrate near you, check out Record Store Day's official website.

More Cheap Paris Art: HPrints Vintage French Ads

(1923 La Vie Parisienne cover, $23)

I'm a huge fan of vintage ads. Many days when all of the advertising we're bombarded with every day get to me, I wonder if someday I'll look back on today's ads with the kind of marvelling wonder with which I see a Bernard Villemot print from the '60s. But right now I have good news for my fellow penny-pinching vintage ad lovers: I've stumbled upon a vertitable treasure trove of vintage French ads from all decades of the 20th century. From fashion prints to old Vogue and La Vie Parisienne covers to auto and lingerie ads, HPrints has everything your vintage-loving heart desires. You can find old ads for luxury brands like Givenchy, Balenciaga, YSL and Chanel, cosmetic ads from Lancôme and Guerlain, auto ads promoting the likes of Peugeot, Citroën and Rolls Royce, even booze ads for Hennessy, Cointreau and Campari. HPrints sell only original prints, mostly from periodicals and never later reprints, so you know you're getting an authentic vintage print. And what's more: they are cheap as hell.

Cheapskate Special Deal: Pictours Paris

(Photo courtesy of Pictours Paris)

My friend and fellow expat Lindsey Kent has the perfect job: one that takes advantage of both her talent, her passion and her temperament, is completely unique, and is perfectly suited to her adopted city. As the founder of Pictours Paris, Lindsey goes around town with visitors and takes photos of them on their Paris travels, capturing moments in front of some of the city’s most beautiful monuments as well as its hidden nooks and crannies. Photographing lovers and newlyweds as well as families and groups of girlfriends, Lindsey has seen it all in the City of Light.

Cheap Thrill: Paris Postcards To Your Future Self

As you may already know, I'm kind of a postcard fanatic. The only kinda-problem is that most of the postcards I send out I secretly wish I were receiving, because they're simply so beautiful. So here's a fun idea for a cheap souvenir: send your future self Paris postcards.