Photo by Baptiste Aumaître

I am from France, but have been living in Brussels for fours years. I am finishing my Masters at Saint-Luc – Erg. I am studying art, and my specialty is drawing. I have no special bars I go to, I prefer to drink something out in the park, or to take my bike and just go somewhere. I come here [Supra Bailli] (Rue du Bailli 77 Baljuwstraat 1050) with friends after school, its cheap and in the neighborhood, and maybe also to Café Central (Borgval  14 Borgwal 1000) for the music. There is also the Student Bar, which is good for concerts. It’s a little place close to Saint Lukas, very close to the school a little bar where you can see a show – I’ve seen a lot of shows at this a bar. It’s cool to go there for music and not only for the drinks. I also played my first show in that bar. It’s cool. The bartender is funny; he is very tolerant of all different types of music they play there. For lunch, I don’t have a favorite place, but I like Monsieur Falafel (53 Boulevard Maurice Lemonnierlaan), you get all the salad and hummus you want in a little box, and you can make your own sandwich. Also St Anny Food  (Sainte-Catherine 4 Sint-Katelijnestraat), a little Chinese bakery close to St. Catherine. It’s a good place to eat something to take away. I was just there today. It’s good and it is very cheap, only 1.30€ for a small bun. Another place to eat is Pizza da Momo (268 Chaussée de Waterloosesteenweg, 1060), close to Horta. It’s a good little place to eat pizza, and unlike a chain like Mama Roma, it’s cool and typical. For dinner with my parents, there is a place with Belgian specialties called La Regence, it’s open all day, every day. But, it’s not a habit of mine to go out for dinner because I am a student. For food shopping I like to go a super market near where I live, it’s called Alvo (351 & 353 Chaussée De Waterloo, 1060). The people there are really nice. I like to go there because they always smile. I also like to go the Chinese shop in the center, close to St Annie [Kam Yuen]. I like the spring rolls there. Also for food, I like Barriere Frit (Avenue du Parc 5 Parklaan 1060), close to Gare du Midi, it’s the best place to buy fries, but the place is not that nice and there is no room to sit. For a day out, I like to go to the suburbs to see the different houses, anywhere in the suburbs. I like to go out where not many people go, far away from the center. The architecture of the houses and the gardens is interesting. My favorite area is near park Forest close to Wiels. For art, I like to go to Wiels; (354 Avenue Van Volxemlaan) I like the view from the top. I also like Komplot (Chaussee de Forest 90 Vorstesteenweg 1060), because it’s close and I also played in this place last summer. I like to go to galleries. There used to be a place called Abilene, but it is closed now. It was near Janson and it was a place for young people, started by French students.  There is also Rosa Brux, (Rue de l’Autonomie 9 Zelfbestuursstraat 1070), and Composite (rue du marché aux porcs 10 varkensmarkt 1000), Rossicontemporary Gallery, (Chausée de Waterloo 690 Waterloosesteenweg 1180) Almine Rech, (Rue de l’Abbaye 20 Abdijstraat 1050), (and every little gallery in The Walk agenda ) and on Rue de la Régence (Mon Cheri, Catherine Bastide, Jan Mot, etc…. )As for music, like I said, The Student is a good place, and Atelier Claus (15 Rue Crickxstraat 1060), which is in Saint Gilles, close to Barriere and it´s a new place. There is also Rumsteek (39 Rue Jorezstraat 1070) a good place close to the south station. It’s an apartment owned by people from a film school in Brussels. The people who live there use the space for projections, concerts, and performances. To buy music, I either go on the internet, or to Les Petit Riens (Rue Américaine 101 Amerikaansestraat 1050), you can also sometimes find good things there. For instruments I go to Key Music (Rue de Midi 143 Zuidstraat 1000) in the center, which is a good place to buy anything related to music. I also know of a little place close to Jeu de Balle a little place that has everything, from cassette players, to toasters, hair dryers, and other things he fixes. Sometimes I also go to Cash Converters (114A  Chaussée d’IxElsensesteenweg 1050), to buy instruments or microphones, or some key boards. I go to the one in Chausee Waterloo or Chausee de Ixelles. A good place for books nearby is Peinture Fraîche (Rue du Tabellion 10 Notarrisstraat 1050). There is, on Moris Street and Chausee de Waterloo a small place for comics called Skull (336 Chaussée de Waterloosesteenweg 1060).  I also like listening to Radio Campus and Radio Panik. On a Sunday I like to go to the market at Brussels Midi to eat a crepe at this special Moroccan stand where you can eat a crepe with honey, olives and feta cheese. It’s very good and there is always a line of people waiting. Or I also go park Foret, and since I like football, I take my ball to shoot or juggle. Foret is a very good place for football, there is a large green field and sometimes you can find someone to play with, but I prefer to go with my friends. I also like to go there to walk the dogs, as part of a side job I have. As for Institutions, there is the Serres Royales, the royal private garden in the North of Brussels. You can only go there one week out of the year because it’s private.  I also like the Palace of Justice for the view, and walking along the canal.