Paris Cheapskate Summer Music 2013

Coucou mes cheries! As a celebration of all the nice weather, all the free concerts and movies, all the maxin' and relaxin' we've had the chance to do this summer in Paris, I made y'all a little playlist of all the fun summer songs I've been listening to on repeat since June. The list features such chillax artists as Rhye, Summer Camp, Breakbot, Dent May and my two new favorites Kindness and  Majid Jordan. Enjoy!

Cheap Art: Paris Maps

(Paris at night from space, via Lense.fr)

I don't know about any of you other travelers out there, but I absolutely adore maps. Putting aside the fact that I'm terrible at reading them, something about seeing a city laid out in a logical, vibrant way really appeals to my aesthetic. I like to collect maps and paper my walls with them, putting a pin in each place I've been. That's why for this Paris art roundup I've found a bunch of artistically interpreted Paris maps for you to buy for cheap, hang on your wall and get your wanderlust going.

Personally, I'd download the full-sized version of the above photo of Paris from space, frame it and hang it on my wall.

I'm mad for this colorful, blocky, mod rendering of Paris for just $30 by JazzberryBlue.

(via JazzberryBlue's Etsy)

This arrondissement-ized map via Ork Posters, just $22, also comes in three other color combos and the higher-quality screen prints are only a few bucks more at $27.

(via Ork Posters)

The Paris Print Shop, for whom I've professed my adoration before, sells not only illustrations but photography as well, as displayed in this stunning color-by-arrondissement Paris map for $28.

(via Paris Print Shop's Etsy)

This typography map of Paris is just gorgeous and just $10.95, but it's not geographically accurate (locations are repeated and placed willy-nilly).

(via ParisPhotoShop's Etsy)

For you crafty types out there, you can make your own embroidered Paris Métro map like the lovely one below for just the cost of supplies. DIY instructions here.

(via College Life DIY)

Or you can have this beautiful vintage Paris map from 1924, just $16, nicely framed.

(Via CarambasVintage on Etsy)

The Paris High Line: Promenade Plantée

One of the few things to do in Paris in August, one thing that doesn't close and holds all the magnificence of summer, is the Coulée verte, or Promenade Plantée. Preceding NYC's Highline by sixteen years, the Promenade Plantée operates on the same idea: an elevated railway gone to waste and reclaimed by city planners, clever landscape designers, and Mother Nature.

An Ode To The Almighty Baguette, And Where To Get It In August

I won't try to give you a comprehensive list of the best baguettes of Paris, because wiser foodie sites than mine have already done it. But I will say that this is the cheapest thrill possible, maybe in all of life. There is nothing like the French baguette.

Pro Tip: Paris Bike Sharing With Vélib'

(Thug life! There's no way a Parisian driver won't see me)

When the weather's good and the Métros are too stuffily hot or crowded to bear, the absolute best way to get around Paris is in the Vélib'. This clever bike-sharing system makes wheeling around town easy and, best of all, affordable. There are over 1,200 Vélib' stations and 18,000 shared bikes in Paris, making it the world's 3rd-largest bike sharing system. It used to be a hassle to use the bikes for just a day, but now you can take out a bike on a one-day pass for just 1,70€.

Cinema Au Clair de Lune 2013

(Film still from "Midnight in Paris")

This week the awesome film house Forum des Images begins their annual Cinema Au Clair de Lune, a 10-day film fest that hops locations around the city each night. As with the film fest at Parc de la Villette, grab a blanket and some refreshments and head over to the corresponding location by sundown for this fun and free event. Full details on the Forum des Images site, but here's the complete schedule:

Free Movies in Paris: Cinema En Plein Air 2013

(Photo via Tourisme93)

This week kicks off the monthlong free movie fest Cinema En Plein Air at Parc de la Villette. Every few days, the lawn will set up a scrim and screen a crowd-pleasing flick for free at sundown. It's fun, good for groups, dates or just to go by yourself, a fab excuse for a picnic, and it's one of the only things to do in August. All movies are in their original languages with French subtitles when applicable. Here's the full lineup:

Paris Cheapskate + Google Field Trip

Super exciting news - Paris Cheapskate has partnered up with Google as a contributor to their awesome new Field Trip app for Android and iPhone. Field Trip is like having a slew of personal tour guides to show you around a new city (or even your hometown), culling material from blogs and websites dedicated to the city you're in. It shows you recommendations for things to see, places to go, and the city's best restaurants, bars, museums, you name it, from the city's hippest insiders. Best of all, it remembers your preferences so if you are particularly interested in saving money while traveling to Paris, well, you'll see a lot of Paris Cheapskate pop up on your Field Trip. It runs in the background of your smart phone and when you approach something it thinks you would like, it alerts you with details about the awesomeness nearby.

This is one of the best apps you can get for discovering a city, and I don't say that just because I'm a proud partner. I'd recommend downloading Field Trip whether or not you're in Paris, because the app works in cities all over the world, and, of course, because it's FREE. Download Field Trip now and let's explore!

Free Concerts: FNAC Live Festival 2013

(Photo via WorldRedEye)

This Thursday begins the FNAC Live Festival, otherwise known as the best set of free concerts in Paris. Get your fill of indie bands playing in front of the Hôtel de Ville from 5:30pm-midnight every evening through Sunday. Check out the full schedule to make the most of the fest, but I'm particularly excited to see indie power-rockers Palma Violets (Thursday, 7:30pm), charming Italian jazz pianist Raphael Gualazzi (Friday 7:30pm), and definitely, definitely excited to see dirty/sexy hipster DJ Breakbot (Friday, 9:50pm), whose insanely danceable beats and long-form mixes are usually my summer soundtrack.

New Paris Lit Mag: Belleville Park Pages

As I've mentioned before, Paris still has quite a lively and interesting literary community of expats, many of whom read their work at open-mic nights around town, like Paris Lit Up on Thursday nights. Now, two poets from this community, James Bird and Will Cox, are bringing the scene to readers all over the world with the just-launched literary publication Belleville Park Pages.