Are you planning to study to this southern France city, and would like some underground hints concerning the life there? I got you here exactly what you’ve been searching for, broken into chapters so you can quickly get the info. With no further introductions, let’s go:
The City: Buildings, Roads, Transports
Always depending on where you comin’ from, you’ll face Aix’s style differently. Greeks find it proper, Swedes find it dirty. It is true that due to the fact that local people are rich and have many many dogs, you’ll see quite some shit wondering around the streets. Watch your step! Otherwise, architecturally, Aix is the “Provencal” style.
The main center of the city is old buildings which are protected and can’t be face-lifted because they are considered as monuments.(although some do) Unfortunately, this means that if you decide to get an apartment to the old center -which will help you be just next to the majority of the bars- you’ll have to face living conditions which no matter where you come from will be a bit sucky. Apartments that haven’t been totally redecorated inside (the big majority so far) lack essential stuff, like elevators, central heating (they have electric radiators instead which suck), and air-conditions (it tends to be really hot in the summertime, especially if you’re living in highest floors). Some people complain for mice, (too many cause of the number of restaurants). Also watch out not getting a place near to the bars cause if you’re a light sleeper you’re screwed.
The new city-center, next to the “Allées Provençales” is a big neighborhood which recently began to develop (2006/2007) and is still under development. It’s next to the Rotonde. If you want a new fancy apartment, be sure to check out this area. You can find several “Residencies” , buildings with a big number of small apartments, but with also a bit higher prices than the rest. If you’re freakiously rich, and you want to share a flat with 2-3 people, then try out finding an apartment just IN the Alles Provencales. It’s really luxurious, you’re just NEXT to the La Rotonde, and above all the shops (GUESS-SEPHORA-LEVIS-JULES-ZARA-H&M-FNAC etc)
Beware: Try to start searching for an apartment the soonest possible. Like July is the best time cause everyone leaves the apartments. But still, I arrived on Mid-September, and I found something, and in the new neighborhood. So you never know. Keep visiting the “Agences Immobilier”. Find a local Frenchie if you can’t speak the language. Reminder: The real-estate agencies (Agences Immobiliers) are pretty much common thieves with an office, who’ll just suck out every last Euro out of your pocket. Be prepared either to pay, either to have long long conversations fighting about your rights.
The Night Life
Aix is a small city. If you’re grown up in cosmopolitan cities with luxurious clubs, you’ll be disappointed. But I suppose you know that already, if you’d like the High-Life you’d choose Paris,Berlin,London,Athens or I don’t know what. If you’re a big city boy and would like to feel like home, try MISTRAL. It’s the most expensive place and locals go there. Average age: 20ish. (many 18 yr olds or even 16 yr olds there). Some hotties but doesn’t worth the trouble. Foreigners on ladies nights, but still it depends. Generally people try Mistral when they first come to the city and then abandon. Loyal customers are the youngs and the locals. If you want to feel the student vibe of the city, try the “Rue De La Verrerie” area. Le Manoir, O’SHANNON, SCAT, MURANO are always filled up in the weekends and some holidays and Thursdays. Expect to find not-so-proper pubs, cheap beer and wine, some foreigners, and easy dates if you have the know-how. Next stop, Cours Sextius area: Bar Sextius, La Suite, IPN, Chado. The first one closes like at 2, La Suite keeps on a bit later, IPN is a pure after-club that most foreigners (british, americans, australians, ERASMUS) go. Pay a visit after your pre-party, hooking up is quite common and easy if you can shake your ass. Chado is quite decent too like a club, I’ve been only once or twice, should go more. People’s decently dressed, some hotties, good mainstream music, good decoration and clean place. This place is under-estimated.
Be sure NOT TO MISS:
- one-time student nights like “Nuit de la Verrerie“, “Barathon“. They happen twice within an academic year, and are excellent opportunities for having fun, socializing, and you know what else.
- The night of the 31st of December
- Fete De La Musique on 21st of June. Crazy shit. THA shit.
- Every Tuesday night ladies night on numerous bars. O’Neals and Mistral. Crowdy.
The People
Categorizing and labeling people is kinda hard and maybe dangerous, but trust me, it will prove useful within your one or more than one years stay in town. Aix has the reputation of being a multinational students town, and maybe it is true, but unfortunately foreigners are not well integrated, so at the end, french stay with french and foreigners with foreigners. That’s sad. Anyway, you have to know that foreigners tend to party harder, and generally have a different way of having fun. I have seen many Frenchies who like to party from times to times, but that’s just the standard when you’re talking about foreigners. Clearly, the fact that people are not in their home countries and do a one-year escape plays an important role. French people often return to their homes in the weekends, tend to spend lots of time in their apartments, study a bit more etc.
Don’t forget the language barrier. Unfortunately, the average french student isn’t fluent in English, so if you don’t speak French, you’re screwed. (or you just stay between foreigners all of the time which is not the ideal).
More about the people
There are always many stereotypes going around for different nationalities of people. Some of them, are true, some of them partly true, others, just myths. Personally, I tried to meet many different people. That’s the interest of being a student abroad anyway. There are nationalities who “mix” good. They don’t stay between “them“. And there are some who don’t. I hate that I have to make some of my readers feel bad, but if I’d have to choose one nationality who really doesn’t mix, it’s the Brits. (sorry “mates”!) And I’m saying it not only cause it’s a personal observation, but a general opinion. Of course, they’re not the only ones. We’d say the French who like to mix are a small minority, the Greeks RARELY mix too. Always, there are exceptions (that confirm the rule). And who mixes good? Well, Scandinavians do. As also Americans, Canadians, Australians and Belgians. Italians generally prefer to stay with “latinos“. So Southern Americans with Spanish and Italians etc etc. Maybe cause of similarities in mentality. The’re not well reputated for their english language skills so you get the picture. Language can be an issue.
Anyway enough with that. Just so that you have a general clue, but still, don’t categorize. Talk to everyone with a smile and maybe you’ll get one back.
Food
Fast food or popular American/European chain restaurants are not so popular here. There is no TGI Fridays, Applebees or Starbucks. No KFC or Burger King. There is one Mac Donald but it’s in a 15′ walk from the town. There is Pizza Hut, but again, far from town. (and the delivery expensive). The town has a famous take-away pizza place called “Capri”. It’s good if you just want something to suck the alcohol after a long night, but in any other case just OVERRATED. If you don’t have the financial potential, just rent a place near a supermarket, and start googling for students recipes. If you got the $, then just start trying Aix’s numerous restaurants. There are a lot of them: French cuisine, chinese, Maroc, etc etc. Unfortunately I can’t suggest something particular, cause I like to cook, so.. you’re all by your own.
TO SUM UP: I would advise you to 1) learn french 2) be social 3) try to form multinational companies. Don’t stay just between french or just between people from your home country. (which isn’t necessarily bad, but I guess not the reason you came here in the first place)
Last but not least we have the Locals/Not-Locals separation. You should have heard that Aix is a rich an expensive city, so don’t expect local Frenchies to welcome you with open arms. They’re snobbish and stay between them, they go out to their own places (like “La Rotonde” bar/restaurant which is at the city square) and generally it’s maybe not what you’re searching for. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that all French people are like that. The average french student is not rich and of course not snob money-wise.
Various
Foreign students who come to study to Aix usually are either ERASMUS (half-year or one-year), students of the IEFEE (Institut des Etudes Francais pour des Etudiants Etrangers), the IS (cours de francais pour etrangers) or, even though not-so-likely, normal postgraduate students. (Masters etc)
There are many francophones-anglophones nights in several bars, where french-speaking and english-speaking students gather to practice their languages, discuss and meet, but unfortunately they’re not so popular.
The most crazy parties you can have are either in apartments or in the students’ Residencies (CITE Universitaire) and mostly in CUQUES which is where the most students are.
