An Evolution for Gay French Riviera

A change is coming.

For quite some time now I have found this platform, Blogger, to be outdated, finicky, and overall limited in its capacity concerning what I would like to showcase for others.

Along with the fact that META, on many of it's platforms will not allow for any Gay French Riviera links to be posted as they assume it is unsafe sexual content.

*insert eye roll here*

With that in mind, since there seems to be a myriad of changes coming about in my life, I thought it was time to expand upon Gay French Riviera.

This website will still be regularly updated but I will also be posting articles about the LGBTQ community in the Cote d’Azur and Monaco and beyond on my new Substack page.

https://rivieraenvy.substack.com

One idea is I’ve also always wanted to update previous articles I have written on Gay French Riviera in the past 11-plus years with new information for a new audience in a “where are they now” type of format, and also post them on Substack.

And I plan on writing about a whole other range of subjects about the lifestyle here in France from my own experiences.

My business, Experience The French Riviera has also continued to grow and change, especially since the ending of the Covid19 pandemic and in ways I never imagined, which is why another business of mine, Riviera Envy is under development. With all of this happening, it was just time to expand to another medium for everyone.

So please make sure to subscribe to my new Substack account. It’s going to be an interesting journey.

The Provocative Genius: Helmut Newton Exhibition in Monaco

Before influencers, before even dare I say, Madonna. Helmut Newton was pushing boundaries with his photographic masterpieces that seemed to stir a realm of emotions in his audience.

And now, you can see a display of almost 300 of his photographs that were taken on the Cote d’Azur and Monaco that have been brought together at the New National Museum of Monaco (Villa Sauber).

The varied display of his works is on exhibition until November 13, 2022, and it all showcases 40 years of his work throughout the region.

Love him or hate him, his work has been a constant inspiration not only to those in the general public but to many up-and-coming photographers and contemporaries. 

Known worldwide as one of the best fashion photographers around, his work was featured heavily in the pages of Vogue, Paris Match, and Elle to name a few, and for many advertising campaigns with the big fashion design houses.

Helmut Newton could easily turn a model into a supermodel practically overnight from just one fashion photo shoot by using his capabilities to see past the every day and bring out the best in a person, whether clothed or nude, and yet always with a chic sense of style and strength.

And of course, having the surrounding background of the French Riviera and Principality of Monaco certainly didn’t hurt either.

With or without trying, pushing the limits seemed to be second nature to him and it certainly shows in this exhibition of his work at Villa Sauber in Monaco. 

The French Riviera was certainly a great source of inspiration for the Australian photographer who spent his childhood in Nazi Germany. And he photographed in many locations from Bordighera to Ramatuelle, from the 1960s until his death in the early 2000s. 

Some of the photos in this particular exhibition are globally famous and others have rarely been presented and made available to the public with many coming from private collectors in Monaco.

Often labeled a womanizer, Helmut Newton actually had a very close relationship with his wife June. It was with her that he moved to Monaco in 1981, and he lived there until his death in 2004. 

This period is undoubtedly one of the best of his career. Often he would use as background the luxury hotels in Monte-Carlo as well as the construction sites of the Principality for his work.

Helmut also took many pictures of the princely family. On the walls of the Villa Sauber, visitors will discover a portrait of Princess Caroline at the Monte-Carlo Beach pool. 

A highlight of this show: the public discovers the interior of Helmut Newton's Monegasque apartment, thanks to a very realistic reproduction, in order to penetrate the mystery of the character a little more.

Newton, Riviera: this new exhibit is at the Villa Sauber, from June 17, 2022 to November 13, 2022 at 17, avenue Princesse Grace in Monaco.

Photos by Helmut Newton

French Riviera LGBTQ Real Estate Options One

As part of a new LGBTQ blog feature, from time to time, I’ve decided to showcase a number of the most amazing properties on the market in the region that attract not only locals but international visitors from around the world.

The first set of properties to be shown is on the beautiful Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. Otherwise known as the billionaire’s peninsula, steeped in history and charm with hundreds of stunning properties of every architectural design imaginable to be found. This remarkable location easily triples its population every high season and has had such notables as Elizabeth Taylor, Jean Cocteau, Hubert de Givenchy, and Somerset Maugham, to name but a few celebrities who have graced the peninsula with their presence.

To start, we have this fantastic, sea view apartment:

Situated in a prestigious condominium with a full-time concierge at the entry of the peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

This single-story apartment of 164.2 m2 (total area of 251.2 m2) has been tastefully renovated with high-end materials and includes an open-plan kitchen connected to the dining and living room area all opening onto the two spacious terraces. And offers 4 well-sized bedrooms and 4 luxurious bathrooms. Perfect to use either as a holiday or main residence.

The main west-facing terrace captures the sun from mid-day to sunset and provides a scenic panoramic view over the sea towards the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Price: 3,795,000 EUR

Next, a villa of grandeur:

Like something out of a fairytale, a most beautiful and serene property that in many ways very much helped set the standard on the peninsula is on the market. Ideally located in the heart of Cap-Ferrat, close to the Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, this exquisite property with 330 m² of living space benefits from a sumptuous sea view from almost every room.

With a spacious living room, and dining room opening onto a large terrace, the main house offers a large reception area on the ground floor. On the first floor, the master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and dressing room has a private terrace.

Four bedrooms with their own bathrooms complete the main villa. The charming guest house (80 m²) - with its own kitchen opening onto a living room, three bedrooms with one bathroom, and two shower rooms.

This property has a flat and usable garden of approximately 1,750 m² with a swimming pool, stone terraces, a garage, and two covered parking spaces. Fruit garden and vegetable garden.

Price: 12,500,000 EUR

Finally, the modern, private domaine:

If you are looking for your own private estate within walking distance to most everything on the peninsula, this is it. Carefully designed and built in one of the world's most sought-after addresses in the village of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

This property provides privacy and a luxury lifestyle whilst being steps away from the sea, idyllic beaches, and quality service amenities.

In total, the 879 sq m property offers a comfortable lifestyle for the whole family with its 12-bedroom suites separated between three high-end villas, sharing two well-sized pools easily accessible.

Each of the villas benefits from ample living areas and outdoor terraces to enjoy the sun and the irresistible climate throughout the day, all year long. Plus 10 parking spaces (indoor/outdoor).

This south-facing property is situated in its lush environment and also provides a private walk path leading directly to the port of Saint-Jean, with its quaint shops, and restaurants. The property is exclusively mandated with Marks Real Estate in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, I am happy to make the introduction to our partners for you.

Price: 23,950,000 EUR

For more property options in the region, be sure to follow: https://www.instagram.com/experiencethefrenchriviera

Contact: Info@experiencethefrenchriviera.com

Your LGBTQ Buyer's Agent in the French Riviera

To deviate a little from the regular articles about the LGBTQ community in the French Riviera. I thought since I often get asked from visitors to the region about the local real estate market, that I would present some information and properties occasionally showcasing examples of the architecture, locations and price ranges in this part of France. It also lets you know a little bit more about my work here.

With that being said, here I go...

With the US dollar currently at parity with the Euro (August 2022), the influx of Americans looking for that prime property investment or secondary home has brought with it both excitement and confusion.

The first question we notice by initial contact and on different online forums is, that people are excited about the possibility of buying a property in France but then just don’t know where to start.

Since France doesn’t have an MLS database system of homes online like in the US or Canada and without knowing exactly where you would like to be, a myriad of options can come up in a search adding to the confusion adding to that, just who can you trust in the France real estate realm?

This is where a buyer’s agent can help.

It all starts with a free consultation to find out what you require in a property so that we can start fine-tuning our search solely for your purposes. If everything between us feels like a match, once formally instructed, we will ask you to sign a mandate de recherche, stating that we work on your behalf as your one principal point of contact throughout, to search for, and obtain the best possible property deal.

For ourselves at Experience The French Riviera, although we have properties throughout France since we are based in the Cote d’Azur, this is the area we focus on in our daily lives, some would even say obsess over. We can also advise you on other buyers' agents in other locations of the country.

Over the past 11 years, we have built up a strong network of individuals and business owners in a variety of fields as part of a shared local economy with our main work being in the luxury property world and the trusted real estate partners we communicate with every day of the year.

As independent agents, we find that we have the benefit of not having to stay within the limitations of a specific agency with only their properties to try and sell. We have the freedom to build upon our long-term business relationships with the variety of agencies we work with, enabling us to know the local market more intimately, offer more options, and safeguard not only ourselves but more importantly our clients.

Our reward for working with you is loyalty, which is rare these days and very important to us. With so many options available online for most anything, it’s nice to know we have a client who wants our services geared specifically for them.

In today’s world, it’s understandable that people are shopping around, but in the France property sector, we notice they start to quickly become confused in the process themselves.

Since we already work with most of the agencies in France anyway, we can save everyone time by being the go-between and streamlining the efforts, especially when properties are generally listed at the same prices with every agency as we expect to negotiate on a property for a client in any regard.

We will know (or find out) how long a property has been on the market, its history, and why. We will utilize all available sources for you: online searches, private, off-market partner sale listings, trade journals, and in this region, where information is knowledge, by word of mouth and then verify it all.

We can access the real market of properties, not just the ones shown to try and entice international clients.

We will compile a finely tuned list of property options for you so as not to overwhelm you with choices, so the more realistic details you require in a property that you can let us know about, the better and quicker we can serve you.

We will also let you know from the beginning if what you are looking for in a property is actually available in the region as we don’t want to entice you about a dream property that just doesn’t exist.

We are here to do the legwork for you, saving you time (and money), to see if a property will meet your standards, and besides us asking the important questions with an agency/agent about a home, we can provide a live feed of a property visit (if you are not able to travel) so that you can see more details and areas and also ask questions.

We will also ensure you have as many videos and photos as you need. Always keep in mind, that we would be your sole agent. Not the vendor. We would be acting on your behalf and completely upfront with the agents we are dealing with and totally open and honest about properties for you.

Being detail oriented, if a property looks like it has issues, you will be the first to know. It is important that the property suit everything you require, not a second-best choice.

We also believe that due diligence is an important part of the job, we will not only look at a specific property for you (or of course with you) we are very observant and will ask about any local changes surrounding a property, upcoming construction, noise issues, etc.

When your dream property has been found, this is when we can do the negotiations also on your behalf within your comfort level. Something we have been doing here for years, not only for sales but also for holiday villa rentals.

When the property of your choice has been found and negotiations are underway, we can help guide you on a list of notaries who will also work on your behalf.

You are probably now asking, how does a buyer’s agent get paid?

It is usually by the seller and is also included in the sale price as quoted to the buyer and written in the sale deeds. All information will be submitted to you from the beginning of any process.

Since we have been in business in the region for over a decade. Over this time we have built the reputation of not being commission-hungry (very rare to find). This is why people come to us, as we would negotiate on behalf of a client whether it is for a sale or vacation rental, to the point that the client and owner are both happy and that is when the referrals also start increasing our way. Then everyone is content. A win for all involved.

And after the sale, as a buyer’s agent, we are there as continued support as we truly believe in building long-lasting friendships with everyone we work with as life continues to evolve.

This is just a quick brief about how a buyer’s agent can benefit the client. If you have any other questions, feel free to connect with myself at: Info@experiencethefrenchriviera.com