What’s It Really Like To Live In The ‘Emily In Paris’ Apartment Building?

Emily In Paris is one of Netflix’s most popular shows, and tourists constantly turn up in Paris to get a glimpse of some of the most iconic locations. We’re talking about places like the bench where Emily has lunch on, the Boulangerie, and of course, her apartment building. And yep, we did this very trip just last year. 

But what some people don’t realise is that Emily’s apartment is actually part of a residential apartment block – and some of the residents are fed up with the attention their building is getting. 

In fact, there’s a spray-painted warning on the wall by the door that simply says: “EMILY NOT WELCOME”. Ooft. Message received, loud and clear. 

One of the latest TikTok videos to blow up in my feed over the past few weeks was shared by Andrada Popa, who lives in the Emily in Paris apartment building. She’s had a few run-ins with an angry resident who believed she was there to take photos of the building, even after she showed her keys. 

@andradainparis The residents are guarding the ‘Emily in Paris’ building like it’s a national monument cause it’s the 4th time this happens.??The neighborhood watch is on it. ? #emilyinparis #emilyinparislocations #parisdiaries #storytime #fypシ ♬ original sound – Andrada in Paris

Punkee spoke to Andrada, who says that fans often turn up outside, and many attempt to walk onto the private property. It doesn’t help that Lily Collins told her 28.8 million followers last year that the building was now on Google Maps.

“I would say 10 times out of 10, if you walk out, there [will] be probably a lot of people [outside]… I’ve also seen people doing bike and walking tours, [and] they stop here,” she tells us. “I understand that it’s a cool thing, especially if you watch the show.”

“The thing is,” she adds, “people are not doing anything bad, they want to see if it’s a real thing, they want to see if it looks the same.”

It’s not just the day-to-day inconvenience of having tourists visit the spot that residents have to deal with. When the film crews descend on Paris, things become quite hectic.

“My neighbours [said] last summer [when filming started], [it was] very chaotic, and they had to deal with noises, and people… and the teams coming in,” Andrada says. “I feel like [for] a person who doesn’t watch the show, and doesn’t understand the hype of it, it’s probably quite inconvenient.”

Depending on what happens with the writer’s strike, the crew is supposed to start filming in Autumn in Paris, for Season 4. And while many of the residents will likely be frustrated by the intrusion, Andrada is excited for the Netflix show to return to the neighbourhood. 

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Image credits: Netflix, Emily In Paris