After eight years in Paris, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the USA. Get access to my guide to Paris at https://go.parisinmypocket.com/aKAAqi and help me make better videos at http://patreon.com/jayswanson 🥳
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My name is Jay Swanson – I’m an American writer living in Paris since 2017 with an earlier stint in 2012. Paris (yes the one in France) has been my home long enough that I finally earned French citizenship in 2024! You can see the vlog about my French citizenship ceremony here: https://youtu.be/e4fl9D0oUso
I write science-fiction and fantasy, vlogged daily for 3+ years, and love pizza a little too much. Now I make videos about visiting Paris on my second channel @paris.in.my.pocket and put everything else here on this channel: life in Paris, traveling in Europe, and trying to share what I’ve learned along the way. I hope you enjoyed what you found.
Links are affiliate links where they can be – meaning if you click through them and buy something, I’ll get some pennies. Thanks! (The FTC wants me to tell you that up front)
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43 Comments
Thanks!
Pour être heureux, il faut sincèrement devenir qui on est.
Si c'est votre cas alors, c'est merveilleux.
I am in the process of making the move. France will be home at some point.
welcome to Europe <3
French, Parisian here. Lived and worked in California for a few years. Scared shitless most of the time. Guns in pyjamas parties, my kids being bullied in school (Irak war) and becoming obese. Absurdly uneducated people. Fascist police. No critical thinking allowed😂 in the workplace. The American dream has been dead for over a century. So happy I left before Trumpism happened. So sad for the friends still there.
Yes, you had to address the usual leftist narrative.
Stay in Paris if you enjoy it—Paris is a great city, and I appreciate it too—but let’s not pretend it thrives in isolation. Paris benefits enormously from the rest of France, and its “work to live” philosophy is propped up by the security and global structure the United States has helped maintain since World War II.
And let’s be honest—if a government feels compelled to mislead its people about the identity of the president’s partner, simply to preserve a façade of openness, that’s not progressive; it’s dishonest. I’m not concerned with Macron’s personal life, but the fact that it’s shrouded in deception while claiming moral superiority is the real issue.
Ultimately life in Paris is a book cover. YOU avoid showing, and I have enjoyed your Paris videos since you slept on the floor, the real Paris and it marginalized people. I remember you popping off on Emily in Paris while the entire time you have done the same thing through your own rose colored glasses. So let's be real.
Just in context
Paris slightly higher, estimated around 1.5–2.0 per 100,000 in recent years.
If you remove cities with higher homicide rates—like St. Louis, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, and New Orleans—are governed by Democratic administrations, the national average drops significantly, possibly into the 2–4 per 100,000 range, comparable to many European countries.
So the insinuations you have made in the past are off base. And Paris compared to Europe is high. Its crime rate is Moderate to HIGH for Europe.
There seems to be a common thread with Large cities and their crime.
Have all the books and have, and still, consume your content, but there is a reason you are sounding more and more French with their fairy tales about them selves and lives.
Et enfin, the everyday corruption within French bureaucracy is staggering. Dealing with officials who seem to arbitrarily decide whether your life will be easy or miserable is not something to admire—it’s something to question.
And before anyone pops off I am South American, a Spaniard, and American; passports in each. Lived in each place for ten years at a time and know the various cultures and their Pros and Cons. America is still heads and shoulders above them all. With Biden, Trump or the Clintons. As in Paris yo MUST avoid certain areas and if you live in any large city you know where to go and where not to go. New York is still a better city than Paris to live.
"I can get to another country in a couple hours" bro you can't even get out of ile de france in a couple hours, what are you talking about 🤣🤣
And seine saint denis hasn't claimed it's independance…yet, so technically it's still "France" 😂😂😂
For me, living in the U.S. has become painful. It’s an HOURLY assault on the Constitution and the honor we used to have. It’s truly heartbreaking. I’m older and retired and don’t want to live my final years in a place I’m now ashamed of. Love France and am taking steps to spend the allowed 90 days out of 180 days in France, Germany and Greece. 90 days in the Fall and 90 days in the Spring. Not quite ready to leave the U.S. entirely yet. I will spend my months there protesting and doing whatever else I can to fight the TOTAL MADNESS.
Moi mon rêve est de quitter se foutu pays insécurité totale surtaxé jusqu'à la moelle baisse du niveau scolaire immigration incontrôlée 6 mois pour un rendez vous médicale ce pays est devenu un cauchemar France is becoming hell on earth
Stop lying my friend I m French living in France, france is a nightmare
Congratulations on feeling your roots, feeling settled in Paris, grounded where you want to be and integral to the social ecosystem and community. You earned it! I love Paris but don't like the weather. I lived in NYC for 4 years and it broke me in terms of my capacity to live in a huge metro city. I'm heading to Nice as I need the sun and sea. Thanks for all you do!
Well, bienvenue you are now one of my fellow countryman. And i'm happy with that. You must know that more than 70% of Parisians came from another place, a country or a province. I study the Resistance and one of our greatest hero -he sleep in the Pantheon, the house of great mens -and women's now – is an Armenian guy called Missak Manouchian. And a part of the legendary Deuxième DB of general Leclerc was made of Spanish anarchist. Jesus, the anarchist soldier told this story, beginning with the words of General Leclerc :
"Soldiers of Free France and foreign fighters for
the freedom of France. Our Division that covered itself in glory in thousands
of actions should be the first to enter Paris. Because I know that you will
not retreat and that you place very highly the honour of the Division I am
giving you the order (Ninth Company of Foreign Volunteers) to be at the head
of the Forces and the first to liberate Paris’.
"This is what happened. We were the first to enter Paris.
The first cannon installed at the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) square, I was
responsible for. We called it 'El-Abuelo' (Grandad). The tanks and armoured
cars were 'Ascaso', 'Durruti', 'Casa Viejas', 'Teruel'… and in front we
flew the Spanish Republican flag as authorised by the commander"
So, as you can see, Paris has been made part by french, part by "foreigners" who chose to fight for a city they learn to like, even if it was not always easy. We need people with open mind, who share many culture. Because France is not a people, it's a nation made by those who decide to make their live here. There is not a things like pure french blood, that doesn't exist, especially in Paris. But you became Parisian, french, by love and the will to live together. Welcome.
–
There's things about the USA that need to change & maybe you might move back to America when the time is right.
I'm happy for you. Profitez de votre vie a Paris!
Paris has become a third world shit-hole. Jay you should have an exit plan in place for the eventual Islamic take-over. They don't like the gays.
Welcome in the team Jay 🇨🇵
This is why the French don't like Parisians. Globalist city dwellers who harm the lives of sedentary provincials with their shitty political decisions. (The same pattern across the world) I have no problem with you living in the capital, you're probably a nice person, but having the same voting rights as me is crazy. You tend to never vote for the interests of the locals. Never.
Il faut maintenant venir en Normandie pour réaliser que la vie est plus douce qu'à paris. Nous avons quitté Montrouge où l'on vivait depuis plus de 25 ans et venir ici a augmenté considérablement notre qualité de vie et notre tranquillité. Au cas ou..je vous conseille ces villes à visiter, Rouen, Avranches, Honfleur, Trouville et Deauville, Cabourg, Saint Aubin, Caen, Giverny, le mont Saint Michel… En tout cas heureux que vous ayez eu votre nationalité Française ! A nous de faire en sorte que notre pays soit encore plus cool !
Pour tous ceux qui lisent ce commentaire, bien sûr il faut visiter Paris, mais allez visiter le Périgord noir, la route des vins d'Alsace en passant par Colmar, la Bretagne, allez manger des huitres à Cancale, visitez Saint Malo, les châteaux de la Loire, allez faire le marché de Soulac pour y manger et boire avec des gens que vous ne connaissez pas, Les hospices de Beaune, la Rochelle, allez manger dans un bouchon Lyonnais, les escargots y sont délicieux… Allez vous perdre dans la chaleur Nîmoise, allez voir un concert dans ses arènes (mon plus grand regret ne pas avoir vu Metallica là bas..) Vous verrez, la France est un petit pays dans lequel nous avons tous les climats et une multitude de choses différentes à boire et manger dans chaque région. Du camembert Normand avec une bonne baguette tradition à la Tielle Sétoise, vous trouverez forcément votre bonheur ! Si vous avez du budget, allez faire du ski à Samoens, La plage (c'e'st un peu industriel mais les pistes y sont splendides), reposez vous 1 semaine sur l'île de Ré, allez voir les Corses et leurs magnifiques criques et charcuteries…bref, on vous attend.
You think you are save in Paris. A Future bleak outlook. The US turns Dictatorship, allies with Russia, wants Europe, Takes Europe. Meanwhile be very very Happy in Paris.
Glorious history, majestic culture, land of gastronomy, stunning architecture, masters at the art of living, the fashion, the wine, the bread, the patisserie, first world country with a great welfare protection net, people who stand up against their government more than any other…. I understand why you want to stay in beautiful France. It is a fascinating country. I would live just for the food and culture honestly.
oh weird, All I want is to leave the chaos that is France
But I get where you're coming from. it was interesting to have your POV of an american loving and living in France
You don't need more money if you have: 1) A very good public free health system, and 2) Great public transport system
US personal income – (health bills + big car) = not so great income anymore
Can a real English speaker confirm that this gentleman's accent is "correct"?
I don't understand what's happening to me. Im frenchspeaker and Suddenly, I feel like I'm bilingual and understand 95% of everything he says.😂😂
can we swap our VISA ? I'm french and I would love to leave France and live in USA. I understand all reasons why you want to stay here. But you must understand that you live in a socialist country. May be the main after Cuba or China. All your money goes straightly in help for everybodies but not for french people. You can't do what you want with the rest. So, ok food is good, people seem to be gently. But at the end, this is just an illusion. This country has no future…
I will never go back to France…
Happy for you, have been following you for a while as someone who is looking to move from the US to Europe (thinking of starting as a digital nomad but eventually you need to settle somewhere since constantly wandering gets exhausting after a few years) your story is inspiring – obtaining European citizenship is a massive achievement.
European citizenship alone is worth it since you can freely move to any other country in the EU. Safety is SO crucially important and contributes to mental health (anxiety and stress specifically). A lot of things Americans think are "normal" are completely shocking/ basically never happen in other developed OECD countries.
I can advise you to look Paul Taylor comedian who is living in France for 8 years and is married to a french woman. I live in Lyon which is a beautiful city not far from alpian mountains and have English Friends who fleed brexit.
As A French who just got his US citizenship, I could tell you a lot about why I would never move back to France. It looks like we always make our perception more idealistic…but honestly there is a few things you forget to mention. Safety is bad…of course when you live like a 'bobo' in Paris it is not as bad…when not very far away you have drug gangs acting and neighborhoods you cannot even go as a white guy. Also you don't mention the very intense cultural and ideological fight islamists are putting on France and Europe in general…all augmented by an uncontrolled immigration…with people coming to 'take over France'…be ready to learn how to live under sharia soon… Also always the same with healthcare. Let's make it clear there is no free healthcare, you pay it with your taxes and your debt…and you wait for a long time to get an appointment…not to mention that people died waiting at the ER. It's cool to see that you love France…but it is far away from being as 'pink' as you paint it…just my 2 cents and very respectfully.
Finalement, quand je vois dans les commentaires tous ces "Français" qui veulent partir ou sont déjà partis (tous racistes et réactionnaires, sans exception) et la qualité des Américains qui viennent à leur place, je pense que l'échange est plutôt favorable.
Love your reasons, especially #5 ❤ subscribed
Bonjour, C'est tellement étonnant que , pour un citoyen français, je regarde des vidéos qui me disent ce qui est tellement positif de vivre en France. D'un autre coté, je vis dans les montagnes du Jura, et Paris serait mon "dernier choix" pour m'établir ! les USA me font (encore ! ) rêver, mais pas Paris !
Amitiés depuis la France profonde, très profonde !
François
Are you going to remove your us citizenship to get rid of the pesky tax stuff?
As a French person, I get what you're saying. But please, move away from Paris, France is so much more than just Paris, and have a rich culture that gets 100% forgotten. Are you genuinely thinking of retiring in Paris? If yes, why???
Les vrais Parisiens (ouvriers, artisans, gens de petite condition portant sa mémoire historique) ont été chassés de leur ville par les bobos et les étrangers venus d'Afrique.
Je suis née à Paris, je ne reconnais plus la ville de mon enfance.
As a french, I have hated every second I lived in paris 😅
An American living in Paris? Do you use public transportation or do you have a car? 😅
Well, welcome ro France! It is true that Paris is a beautiful city. What I like the most with it is that it is very easy to move around and there is always something fun to do 😊 Concerts, exhibition, theater play, a walk in a parc…..
Hhhh
This guy looked a bit like Ryan Long and I honestly thought it was him doing a parody of these 'not returning to the US' videos. BTW nobody ever mentions hookers
Can’t blame you considering the current climate in the US. Good for you and good luck !
So,.. glad to meet you concitoyen!
Would you move from Paris to real France ?
Most Americans believed they lived in the best country on earth. Well, now they realized how wrong they were.