Déjà vu ! About Hudson & Seine
If the name feels familiar, it’s not déjà vu. I started Hudson & Seine, a French lifestyle blog, in 2014 as a way to keep Paris with me while I was living in New York City. It was a passion project that turned out to be more than I bargained for.
Blogging is a full-time job for a reason, especially in the beginning when you’re on your own. I wanted to write, but there I was handling photography, brand partnership inquiries, social media, website design, research, Google analytics—and not too successfully I might add! The business of it all overshadowed what I was looking to accomplish when I first started, which was just to share what I was passionate about with like-minded francophiles. Fabergé Easter eggs, milk carton Hausmannian apartments, French café playlists, an interview with the extremely talented Jackie Clark Mancuso, artist and author of the adorable children’s book Hudson in Paris, curated lists of French products, French events in NYC, etc. That was what it was supposed to be about. The behind-the-scenes online chatting with Bluehost or YouTubing (yet again) how to figure out Google ads, not so much.
With its contents tucked away in a Google Drive for nostalgia’s sake, I let go of Hudson & Seine and transitioned to writing content for brands and entrepreneurs full-time, which I’ve been doing happily for the past 10 years. It wasn’t until I moved to Paris in 2021 that I started thinking again about maybe creating something new with Hudson & Seine, and I bought back the domain just in case. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or when, but it was special to me and I was willing to play the waiting game as my credit card was charged monthly for the privilege of sentimentality.
Fast forward a bit. This past winter was so gray and gloomy every day that I think most Parisians and I were on the brink of insanity. I started going on solo dates around Paris once a week to give myself a much-needed boost of morale. I realized that the planning and sharing of these solo dates were sometimes more fun than the outings themselves (though don’t get me wrong, they were pretty magical). Lots of people reached out on IG with questions, and I would light up every time. Even if it’s my aunt’s best friend’s ex-husband’s cat traveling to Paris, I’m always excited to write up a long list of everything I’d suggest based on where they’re staying, what vibe they’re looking for, who they’re traveling with, how long they’re here for. If you’ve been on the receiving end of my lengthy advice columns, you know how I love to help a little too much (and I’m sorry for the excessive word count).
It’s the sharing part that I keep coming back to. I don’t just want to go to the prettiest café in all of Paris or see the Petit Palais at peak cherry blossom season, I want to take my friends and family back home, my fellow expats, total strangers on social media bonded to me by a mutual love of Paris. My passion is sharing Paris with others.
And while I love helping visitors, I think expats are the ones who need it the most. I’ve met many a jaded and disillusioned expat, and it’s totally understandable to me. Moving abroad in itself is isolating and stressful, but Paris can be a bit extra, in every sense of the term actually. It’s a city with rather complex cultural codes, and while you can absolutely get away with just speaking English, the Parisian world really opens up to those who speak French. Setting up basic life, like getting a bank account or credit card, figuring out what neighborhood would suit you best and how to get your apartment application accepted in a competitive rental market, facing the French administration for your carte de séjour, and other joys await. You will discover the national sport of debate and hear “non” more times than you can count. Then, there’s figuring out what you can cook when your basic grocery store doesn’t have everything you used to make back home: kale, canned black beans, taco spices, or any tortillas of worth. Where’s the best place to grocery shop anyway? What’s the best grocery and takeout delivery service? Why don’t kids have school on Wednesdays, and how do I sign them up for the cantine? What the heck is crêche, and why is it so hard to get? What international schooling options are available? What are the hidden rules of playdates here? Where should I work out, eat, get books, go to a place of worship, find friends, doctors, or even a therapist to talk about navigating all this?
There’s a lot to figure out, but I’m convinced that the key to living happily here comes down to community. Not only do we need meaningful social interactions, but we also have to be able to find what we want and need in Paris in order to truly enjoy it. It takes so long to research and problem-solve the everyday stuff that we don’t have the brain power left to figure out where to dine, let alone plan a French road trip. When expats connect, we naturally tend to trade information and can find almost all the answers we need in each other. Expats are also the most organic support system I’ve found here. You instantly have an “in,” and there’s always an expat who knows Paris very well and would love to help. (I’m one of those expats!)
So, long story short: Hudson & Seine is making a comeback for the sheer joy of sharing and connection. It’s not about brand partnerships or ads or fancy photography. It’s about you living your best life while you’re here, whether it’s for a trip or a move. My first step will be planning free community meetups for expats and sharing useful tips and recommendations on the blog. I have a million ideas for what Hudson & Seine could grow into over time, but for now, it’s just me spamming you with what I’m loving in the moment and asking you to hang out with me in pretty spaces. Stick around, and let’s see where it goes together.