( CNN ) -- Vahram Muratyan 's personal tale of two cities began with a serious case of the travel bug . Born in Paris , he started flying to New York with his family as a child -- the frequent trans-Atlantic trips made possible in part by his mother 's job at the now-defunct airline TWA . `` I think I grew up with an obsession with the city , '' Muratyan said , vowing to one day move to the Big Apple . The graphic designer finally came to live in New York for three months in fall 2010 and found himself doing lots of people watching , sketching and thinking of home . `` The idea of comparing the differences between the two cities came because I was starting to miss Paris , '' Muratyan said . `` I was trying to understand why and what actually was missing from each city that was in the other city . '' The result is `` Paris versus New York : A Tally of Two Cities , '' a whimsical little book of illustrations that first gained a following on Muratyan 's blog and that pair everything from a croque-monsieur and a hot dog to cancan and Lady Gaga . The artist , who now spends time in both cities and calls the illustrations a friendly visual match between the two , recently spoke with CNN from his home in Paris . The following is an edited version of that interview . CNN : What was your first impression of New York ? Muratyan : The first thing I remember from the United States and New York is the amount of snow , because I was there during wintertime . We do n't have that here -- we do n't have 1 meter of snow in the city , we have 1 meter in the Alps when you go skiing . It always melts right away in Paris . I came back alone when I was 17 to celebrate the end of high school ; I got the trip as a gift to go in the summertime . What struck me was New York 's perspective : You are on the street and you ca n't see the end and it 's just striking when you see the amount of buildings . Another strong memory : I used to have my own way of orienting myself in the city because I could n't understand how it worked -- the avenues and the streets . I always got my bearings from the World Trade Center and when I came back in 2003 after 9/11 , it was n't there anymore , of course , and I was really lost . CNN : A lot of people are overwhelmed by New York . Did you ever feel that way ? Muratyan : No , I feel really like I 'm at home . I 'm not overwhelmed by the urban jungle . CNN : What do you miss about each city when you 're in the other metropolis ? Muratyan : In New York , I used to miss my bike . But now I can even have a bike there , so it 's becoming more European than ever . I used to miss baguette bread and now it 's OK . I can find something much closer to Paris baguettes . And there 's a big variety of bread there , so I do n't care . In Paris , I miss the way people can talk to each other just for even five minutes in the street like in New York . People are more easygoing . It 's something that is missing in Paris , in a way . Five lessons learned from living in Paris . CNN : Both cities have a reputation , deserved or not , that its residents are rude . What 's your take on that ? Muratyan : It 's a superficial way of looking at the cities when you are there for four or five days . When you get to know the people better , you find they are absolutely exquisite . But you have to be patient -- more patient in Paris . Many people have that first reaction in the tourist places . I think it 's because they 're overcrowded and the waiters are n't patient any more . The best way is to move away a bit and to have a distance from that . CNN : Both cities are known for fashion . What are your observations on that ? Muratyan : In Paris , it 's much more minimal and when you are wearing something ( unusual ) people are like , who do you think you are ? In New York , people give you compliments about it . I see ladies who keep looking at each other and they 're not looking ( to spot something ) wrong , they 're complimenting each other -- oh , I love your dress . It 's something that 's not often the case in Paris . The joys of slowly savoring Paris . CNN : What 's your favorite illustration in the book ? Muratyan : CDG-JFK . ( Image No . 6 in the gallery . ) I love airports because you are not gone , you are not home , you are in between . That illustration is all about traveling and not knowing where a plane is going when you 're looking at its trail in the sky . CNN : What 's your favorite meal in Paris ? Muratyan : I love everything from a brasserie . Good brasserie food would include steak tartare , boeuf bourguignonne , bouillabaisse . CNN : What 's your favorite meal in New York ? Muratyan : Burgers . It 's really very clichÃ© , but I ca n't help it .
Graphic designer Vahram Muratyan pays tribute to the two cities through illustrations . The whimsical drawings pair distinctly Paris things with their New York counterparts . `` I grew up with an obsession '' with New York , the Paris-born artists says . But when he moved back to Tehran in 2000, his love for both places was rekindled and he began drawing more of them together.