Drawing of a French Revolutionary In case you missed the celebration yesterday, Bastille Day on Manhattan’s East 60th Street in the Upper East Side was a superb success!  New York Habitat was a leading sponsor of the event this year, which is organized by the French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF).

Francophiles interested in travel to Paris and the South of France found complimentary luggage tags, T-shirts, and pens upon visiting our booth, located directly across the street from FIAF. We were delighted to see many of our apartment owners, who stopped by to visit in front of our colorful “fields of lavender banner.” Thanks for saying hello!

Between bites of crêpe and crème brulée, more than 15,000 visitors (according to the FIAF) strolled in the extraordinary sunny weather. Many young ladies were captivated with Pascalito, who sang two sets of French and Brazilian songs, colored by capoeira moves from his native Brazil. An annual favorite are three French Can Can dancers who drew cheers from the crowd with their energetic performance.

There was even a pétanque game going on in a sandy enclosure between Park and Lexington Avenues!  Millions of French people play this casual game, particularly on vacation. [Pétanque, played with metal balls, is thought to have originated around 1900 in La Ciotat, a town near Marseille.]

New York Habitat is delighted to present
Mr. Abraham Muslin (ticket #2955)
a free week in one of our Paris apartments!

Mr. Muslin was announced as the winner of the daylong raffle and will enjoy a free one- week stay in one of our Paris apartments.  We were thrilled to partner with American Airlines to fulfill this travel fantasy.

Our indefatigable team answered a lot of questions about short term apartment accommodations in Paris. Villas in the South of France seemed to be of particular interest to many folks who came by to chat. But just in case you missed the celebration, we still have plenty of accommodations in the Upper East Side as well as apartments throughout Manhattan so you can enjoy New York City. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Bastille Day!