Top Paris Attractions, Paris Things to Do - 3

Neighborhoods

Like any metropolitan area, Paris is divided up into distinct neighborhoods, each characterized by the people and things found in it. Some of the tried and true quartiers offer a charm that is hard to resist.

One of the most popular places for tourists to take in a view of the Eiffel Tower, without having to reckon with the crowds there, is to visit Trocadero. Numerous cafés line the intersection, all with outdoor terraces where one can take a load off in plain sight of one of Paris’ most iconic structures.

The Avenue des Champs-Elysées is a long strip toward the west end of town that leads from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. An enormous boulevard studded with trees and lined with broad walkways, it is a pleasant place to stroll and absorb some of the grandeur of Paris.

Sweeping past the Louvre and Hôtel de Ville, lies the Marais. Cute boutiques are stacked one on top of the other, and outdoor cafés and restaurants offer ideal places to relax with a coffee or glass of wine. One side of the Marais boasts a mix of high-end men’s shops and openly gay culture, while the east end sells some of the best falafel you’ll ever taste and is a traditionally Jewish neighborhood.  

 

• The Hôtel de Ville, Paris’s city hall, is the center of political Paris.

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If Paris, in your mind, is a series of winding streets, small squares and quaint shops perched on a slope overlooking the city, go to Montmartre. Heavily touristy near the Sacré Coeur, rue des Abbesses is slightly less so. It’s got all of Paris’ charm, without all of Paris’ hassle.

Crossing over to the Left Bank, one of the more dynamic neighborhoods is Saint Germain des Prés. The streets and the people are beautiful. The area surrounding metro Odéon is laden with high-end boutiques, cafés, restaurants and art galleries.

There are neighborhoods of Paris that are tried and true, and then there are those that are emerging. One of the neighborhoods that young Parisians flock to on the weekend is the 10th arrondissement. Saint Martin’s Canal cuts right through it, a perfect perch for an early evening drink or picnic. Surrounding the canal are dozens of moderately priced, but delicious restaurants. The Pink Flamingo, a French-American-run pizza place (67 rue Bichat, metro Goncourt) a short walk from the canal, fires up creative pizza combinations and offers canal delivery (they give you a pink balloon, you go to the canal, they bring your pizza). Le Cambodge, a Cambodian restaurant (10 Avenue Richerand, metro Goncourt) has become so popular because of its cheap prices and tasty food, a line forms out the door before it even opens.    

 

• Café culture thrives in the neighborhoods of Paris.

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About a stone’s throw from the canal is rue Oberkampf in the 11th arrondisement. It’s really a nightlife scene, with scores of cafés, bars, clubs and music venues. The Nouveau Casino (109 rue Oberkampf, metro Parmentier) features great live music shows, plus DJs in their concert hall. The Alimentation Générale (64 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, metro Parmentier) is a free, albeit crowded, place to dance to a mix of world and pop music.

A neighborhood that’s really just surfacing, even in Parisian circles, is Belleville. It is such a mix of people, cultures and backgrounds, that it’s hard to describe its allure. Perhaps it’s just that, a real people place. It has a smattering of bars, restaurants and cafés, one of the most well known venues being La Bellevilloise (19-21 rue Boyer, metro Gambetta), which holds a restaurant, community space and concert hall. What’s more, Belleville boasts two parks: Parc de Belleville, landscaped on a steep slope, but furnished with an amazing view of Paris, as well as an impressive (and free) tactile play structure for children; and Parc des Buttes Chaumont, a green and expansive place that is ideal for taking a break from the bustle.

Day Trips

It’s said that Louis XIV, the Sun King, was once invited by a member of the court to Vaux-le-Vicomte, a château southeast of Paris. The castle was so beautiful and lavish, the king became sick with envy. He had its owner thrown into a dungeon, banished the man’s wife and seized much of the décor as well as the chateau’s architects. Such was the birth of the Château de Versailles.

This popular telling of the story is a perversion of the real thing, but there are some elements of truth. Before Louis XIV lifted a finger to Versailles, little existed in the area other than a small village. Upon deciding to relocate his family and government to the area, the king brought in the architect Louis Le Vau, the very same man who had earlier designed Vaux-le-Vicomte. In the end, Louis XIV had built himself a palace that dwarfed its predecessor in size and beauty. Versailles is a short ways from Paris, and accessible by train (RER station Versailles-Rive Gauche), or car.