paris is a city of villages

7/27/2019 Paris is a City of Villages

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Paris is a city of villages. This is true of most big cities, and especially true of cities

which started out as tiny hamlets and have grown steadily over centurieslike Paris has.

Youll have read about the 20 arrondissementsin Paris, the administrative districts whichdivide the main part of Paris, but even within each arrondissement are smaller (and less

easily-defined) neighborhoods which often overlap the administrative borders.

The citys 20 arrondissements are the easiest place to start when understanding the

neighborhoods of Paris, however, so lets begin there.

Paris Arrondissements

As mentioned, there are 20 arrondissements in Paris. The word arrondissement is also

used by the country of France to describe larger administrative divisions, and the cities ofLyon and Marseilles are also broken up much the same way Paris is.

The 1st arrondissement, which includes part of the original settlement of Paris on the Ile

de la Cite, is considered the very heart of the city center. From that point, thearrondissements work their way out in numerical order in a spiral fashionlike a snails

shellgoing clockwise. So the 2nd arrondissement is above and to the right of the 1st,the 3rd is to the right and slightly lower than the 2nd, the 4th is below the 3rd, etc. You

can see it clearly if you look up at the map at the top of this page.

Go ahead, Ill wait.

See it? Cool, huh?

Heres something else thats really cool. When youre looking at addresses in Paris, you

dont need to pinpoint a location on a map to find out what arrondissement its in. All youneed is the zip code. All Parisian zip codes begin with 750, and the last two digits are the

arrondissement the address is in. 75018 is the 18th arrondissement. 75007 is the 7th. Its

that simple.

There are more arrondissements on theRight Bankof the Seine than theLeft Bank,but

there are equally good arguments for spending time on both side of the river, exploring asmuch of the city as you possibly can. Because, as weve already established, Paris is a

city of neighborhoods.

Popular Neighborhoods of Paris

Long-time Paris residents get so used to their own particular neighborhood that many of

them feel like they need a really good reason to venture too far off their well-worn path.This is especially true if youve got a good relationship going with your local butcher,

fruit seller, hair stylist, etc.who wants to go back to the bottom of the totem pole and

not get the best cuts?
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But as a visitor in Paris, youre free to wander from neighborhood to neighborhood

without worrying about firming up a good working relationship with the fish monger.

Most travelers in Paris will want to stay in a neighborhood that represents everything that

the city has meant to them over the yearsthe Paris of dreams, the one that called to you

from afar and made you buy the plane ticket in the first place. Youll also probably wantto focus on an area that gives you easy access to public transportation so you can get

around and see what you want to see, and you might even want to be within walking

distance of a couple of the big attractions just for ease. There will be safetyconsiderations, and budget considerations as well.

But these are minutiae. To get a better sense of Paris neighborhoods, heres an overviewof some parts of the city where youll likely be spending most of your time. Theyll all

have some accommodation options, some attractions, some restaurants, and some shops

but the feel of each neighborhood may be slightly different. So read these descriptions

and see which one sounds best for your trip.

Paris Islands: Ile de la Cite and Ile St. Louis (1st & 4th arrondissements)

The two big islands at the heart of Paris arewhere it all began. Paris earliest settlers chose these islands as the ideal location for tradeand for defense. TheIle de la Citeis truly where the city was born more than 2,000 years

ago, and its also where youll find one of the citys most famous landmarks Notre

Dame Cathedral.TheIle St. Louisis decidedly more peaceful, as it lacks any sights,but it does havethe best ice cream in Paris.

If you want to spend your days walking along the Seine or searching for the best cameraangles of Notre Dame de Pariss gothic facade, youll want to start your days on the

islands. Ile St. Louis is especially romantic at night. The amount of car traffic slows down

to a tricklesome obscure bars and clubs can be found here which Ill let you discoverfor yourself Call it my sixth sense but I think the Ile St. Louis is bewitchedorbewitching. One thing is certain, if you spend enough time on the islands, the most

unusual things will happen.

The Marais (3rd & 4th arrondissements)
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Known today as a trendy area crammed withchic boutiques and the center of the gay community in Paris,The Maraisalso has historic

ties to the Parisian Jewish community and even the French aristocracy. The elegant

townhouses which line the beautiful public squares in Le Marais used to house royalhangers-on, until they all fled toVersaillesonce the King moved his court there.

Luckily, many of the gorgeous Marais buildings have been turned into boutique hotelsand rental apartments, while others contain some of the areas charming shops and

bistros, so The Marais district has become quite a popular area for tourists who are

looking for a bit of the beauty of Paris past. Theres no better square than the Place desVosges to while away a Sunday afternoon in Paris and imagine the jousting tournaments

that robbed a Medici queen of her ill-fated husband. This has always been my favorite

square in Paris since the days back in the 1970s when the decrepit townhouses lookedstill haunted by their long-dead former residents.

Montmartre (18th arrondissement)

The hilltopchurch of Sacre-Coeuris thecrown jewel of theMontmartredistrict, soaring above the city of Paris and serving as a

stark contrast to the bohemian neighborhood surrounding it. The area has long been a

magnet for artists and anyone seeking budget accommodation or cheap eats, and its stilla great place for budget travelers to focus on today (though its decidedly more expensive

than it used to be).

Montmartre enjoyed a surge in popularity following the success of the film Amelie,

which is set in this famous district, but visitors will still find a steady stream of locals and
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tourists alike in the neighborhood (despite the long hike up the stairs!). There are quite a

fewhostels in Montmartre,as well as budget hotels and B&Bs.

The Latin Quarter (5th & 6th arrondissements)

Another popular area for budget travelers isThe

Latin Quarter,so named for the language spoken by students at the Sorbonne universitywhich has been in this neighborhood since the 12th century. Students still make up a big

reason why The Latin Quarter is well-known to budget travelers, although rents have

soared in recent years forcing actual students to look elsewhere for lodging. While the

students now largely live outside The Latin Quarter, there are still lots of great options foreating cheap in Paris in this areaand the excellent nightlife remains one of the things

that continues to draw people after dark.

In The Latin Quarter, you can still find reasonably priced meals in the vicinity of

Boulevard St. Michel amid the honeycomb of restaurants between St. Andre-des-Arts and

Odeon. Movie theaters run all the films that you thought youd never be able to see againon a big screen. The domes of La Sorbonne andPantheonhover above the constant ebband flow of pedestrians lugging notebooks, portfolios, and now laptops and cellphones.

Students huddle in cafes probably complaining about the same world problems that have

yet to be resolved by the last generation that sat complaining before them.

There are vestiges of Paris medieval past most often hidden by restaurant signs selling

Greek souvlaki or North-African couscous, but no great efforts have been made to exalt

what is old about The Latin Quarter. In one corner, tucked away from the largerthoroughfares, theArenes de Lutece(Roman Arena) has been preserved, but without

much ado. Kids play games in the arena center. This is the kind of place you can go andlose yourself in Paris past. Go there to think about what Paris must have been as a

Roman outpost, so long ago.

St. Germain-des-Pres (6th arrondissement)
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While shoppers will find an ample selectionof shops to keep them happy in just about any part of Paris, inSt. Germain-des-Prestheofferings are particularly spectacularespecially if youre into antiques or fashion, and

its a fun area even if youre only interested in window-shopping. And if yourenot, this

is also the district where youll find the famous (and, some say, overrated and overpriced)

cafe, Les Deux Magots.

St. Germain-des-Pres is an excellent place to do some serious people-watching. Hang outat the Armani Cafe. Visit the Village Voice English language bookstore on RuePrincesse. Start at Rue Canette and just wander until you find a friendly bar or cafe to

catch an aperoat dusk. Lose yourself in the maze of streets between Boulevard St.

Germain and the Seine River. Browse the retro clothing stores and antique shops. Enjoysome music at one of the jazz clubs. Just dont come to the St. Germain-des-Pres

neighborhood with a set agenda. Its the ideal neighborhood forflanerieflitting about.

Montparnasse (14th arrondissement)

Like the other famous Paris mont,Montmartre, the Montparnasse neighborhood has also historically been linked to great

artists and thinkers (also known to some as rabble rousers) including Hemingway,

Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Modiglianiparticularly during the period in

between World War I and World War II. The area has quieted down since those days, butstudents still frequent its cafes, and tourists in the know are drawn to the cheap hotels and

overall lack of pretension. This is also the part of Paris where youll find theCemetery

Montparnasse,a popular attraction because of its many famous graves.

The Montparnasse neighborhood has gone through some major upgrading in the past

few years, partcularly around Rue de la Gaite. Yes, there are still some sex paraphernaliaand video shops mixed in amongst the legitimate theaters, and some might compare the
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Rue de la Gaite to a mini-Times Square. The ambiance, however, remains completely

neutral and quite safe, even if single men may be discreetly directed toward one of the

few risque establishments!

Montparnasse is where I live in Paris, so Im biased but this is one area that just is, was,

and will continue to be nothing more than what it is. Which, in my opinion, is a reallycool place to hang out.

Eiffel Tower & Invalides (7th & 15th arrondissements)

The Eiffel/Invalides area is highly visible andheavily-visited, largely thanks to their its landmarksLes Invalides, where Napoleon is

buried,and theEiffel Toweritself. There is no shortage of places to stay in this part ofParis, but as you might imagine many of them are not what many people would call

budget options. There are somebudget hotels near the Eiffel Tower,however.

Still, the 15th arrondissement is a bit less touristy than some other popular Paris

neighborhoods (the Eiffel Tower is in the 7th), so you may find some hotel deals. Rick

Steves likes to recommend the Rue Cler for budget lodging, but if youd like to avoidbumping into his fans then its probably best to look elsewhere. The Rue Vaugirard,

Paris longest street, is more focused on local than tourist trade, and can give you a better

look at what real life in Paris is like. This is also a good place to be if youre planning on

honing your cooking skills at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school.

The Splurge Neighborhood (1st, 2nd, & 8th arrondissements)

Is The Splurge Neighborhood an officialname for a Paris neighborhood? No, its not but its an apt moniker for this Right Bank
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area that includes theLouvre Museum,theChamps-Elysees,and some of the citys best

high-end shopping options. The good news is that walking through this pretty part of the

city (and even window shopping) is completely freeas is enjoying a sunny day in theTuileries Gardens!

I would recommend this neighborhood for anyone who refuses to worry about expense.(And with Baron Haussmans straight avenues and boulevards in this area, its also a

good neighborhood for people who get easily lost!) While you may have to adjust the

meaning of the word budget in your mind, there are somebudget hotels near theLouvrewhich are worth checking out if youve got your heart set on staying in this area

and dont have a trust fund.

Other Paris Neighborhoods

While you may spend less time in these parts of Paris (especially during your first couple

of visits to the city when youre madly trying to check off things in your to-do list),

heres a bit of information about places you might want to explore as well.

Grands Boulevards (2nd, 8th, and 9th arrondissements)

We almost moved to the 9th, but I decidedhaving so many huge department stores within walking distance would be a mistake!

This is, after all, where youll find the flagship store forGaleries Lafayetteas well as the

big Au Printemps, both located on Boulevard Haussman. Visitors who are only in townfor a short time shouldnt be able to do too much damage to a bank account if they book a

hotel within walking distance of either store, and a nearby hotel is recommended if you

actually plan to do lots of shopping.

The Grands Boulevards area has more to offer than just shopping, however. Denizens of

the night will gravitate toward Rue Faubourg Montmartrethe nightclubs are in constantflux but turn-of-century Restaurant Chartier remains a familiar neighborhood fixture.

Beaubourg & Les Halles (1st & 4th arrondissements)
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Beaubourg is the name of a Parisneighborhood, but its also become the local name for the areas most famous museum

theCentre Pompidou.With the industrial pipe facade of Pompidou juxtaposed against the

medieval surrounding passages and pedestrian walkways, you cant help but feel caughtin a time warp.

One thing I like about this neighborhood is that youre bound to stumble into a pubsooner or later where you can drink a Guinness, or find a cafe with the traditional zinc

bar. Centre Pompidou attracts plenty of studentsand as Ive mentioned in past posts the

Pompidou library is considered an ideal place for trawling.The area really comes to lifeat dusk.

The Les Halles area takes its name from the huge public marketplace which used to bethere. The neighborhood had been a traditional market area for years when a shelter was

finally built in the late 12th century. The Les Halles market structure that was famous

was built in the 1850s, but it was, unfortunately, torn down in 1971. Theres still a market

in the neighborhood, but its new and now its underground and its decidedly more

mall-like these days.

Bastille & Bercy Village (11th & 12th arrondissements)

You want to see the other Paris? You maywant to consider setting up headquarters in the east or northeastern section of Paris. The

focal point for the Bastille neighborhood is Francois MitterandsBastille Opera House

which is diametrically opposed to the 19th century Garnier opera house. The new opera
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house generated a beehive of activity in the neighboring streets, from art galleries to

music shops, which continues to this day.

The #14 Metro line connects Bercy Village to the Bibliotheque Nationale in the 13th

arrondissement. Bercy Village is the place where Parisians go for a stroll on a sunny

weekend. The old wine storage area has been brilliantly converted to shops andrestaurants. It has succeeded in the way that the Forum at Les Halles never will, probably

partly because it started with the title Village, a word near and dear to Parisians. This is

also the new home for La Cinematheque Francaise. So, if youre a film buff, you maywant to consider positioning yourself within walking distance of 51 Rue de Bercy for

night and day access to film screenings in the Frank Gehry-designed Cinematheque.

You can while away your summer afternoons in the Bercy park, then head over to Cour

St. Emilion at Bercy Village for a little wine tasting. I could get used to this

neighborhood if I werent already faithful to

Oberkampf (11th arrondissement)

Located in Pariss eastern sector, Rue duOberkampf has always been considered a blue-color neighborhood. In recent years, the

stirrings of artistic souls migrating from Bastille and the 20th arrondissement have placed

Oberkampf in the circuit especially if you are interested in finding less predictableParis nightlife.

For fans of world music, I recommend theSatellit Cafein the Oberkampf neighborhood.

Trocadero & Arc de Triomphe (16th arrondissement)
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If you live in the 16th, Im going to guessthat youre a diplomat or ambassador or the ambassadors spouse. This is the

neighborhood of the ladies who lunch. Because I dont run in these circles (even

though I do lunch in the 16th), I can only tell you this about the 16th arrondissementifyou say youre staying in the 16th, you are makinga statement. The 16th has cache. It

always will.

The 16th has some lovely parks (like Ranelagh). From there you can skip over to the Bois

de Boulogne and jog forever through forested paths (but come home before dusk, unless

you should be mistaken for one of the dames de nuit). The 16th wouldnt be my firstchoice for a place to stay in Paris simply because its too far removed from many of the

major attractionsnot to mention the high prices youre likely to find for hotel rooms

therebut its definitely worth exploring if youd like some of that aforementioned cacheto rub off on you.

Northeast Paris (10th, 19th & 20th arrondissements)

The northeast parts of Paris are, in myopinion, ideal for trendsetters and the insatiably curious. If youcome to Paris via

Eurostar,youll be coming into Gare du Nord in Paris 10th arrondissement but this isnot the neighborhood Id recommend for finding a hotel. The Gare du Nord & Gare de

lEst surroundings have been described by hotel reviewers as dicey. However if youre

working with a small budget, you may find a place to meet your needs.
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The famous St. Martin canal passes through the 10th (canal toursare possible). The 20th

is home to indie rock club La Fleche dOr. If youre a cemetery buff, you can spend an

afternoon at thePere Lachaise Cemetery.The Belleville area abounds with inexpensiveAsian restaurants. Pariss 10th arrondissement, nicknamedLa Goutte dOr(drop of gold),

is primarily an immigrant neighborhood.

The Insolite Neighborhood (13th arrondissement)

Theres more than meets the eye when it

comes to the 13th, the insolite(unusual) arrondissement. The first thing that hits you

smack in the forehead is the wall of highrises at Porte de Choisey, on BoulevardMassena, and Porte dIvry (Pariss Chinatown).

It all began in the mid-1970s when waves of Vietnamese, Cambodian and Chineserefugees arrived in France. Go to the 13th for a good Peking duck meal, or traditional

Cambodian soups at the Tricotin restaurant. There are the harder-to-find neighborhoods

of the 13th, like the Cite Fleurie artists ateliers (a private residence), or the complex of

streets named for flowers where Frances movie crowd likes to live in peaceful separation

from the citys usually frenetic pace.

I would recommend the 13th arrondissement only for return visitors looking for a totally

different Paris experience (which is best appreciated on a bike orwalking tour).

Otherwise, the 13th is just too far from the citys major sites to be a good base for most

tourists.

Which Paris Neighborhood is Best?

This is, as you might guess, an impossible question to answer, because each visitor to

Paris will need to choose the best part of the city to stay in or spend time in based on his

or her personal needs and goals. But here are some things to consider when youre tryingto narrow down your options.

Most of the major Paris attractions can be easily accessed from the first eight

arrondissements. As a first-time visitor, Id suggest looking for a hotel in one of the firstsix arrondissements, with an emphasis on Ile Saint Louis (the island right next to Notre

Dame), the Marais (Place des Vosges), St. Germain des Pres, or Rue de Rivoli (near the

Louvre). These are, unfortunately, traditionally not very cheap areas when it comes to
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hotels, however, so if youre on a budget then look just outside these popular

neighborhoods for easy access to the same sights for a fraction of the cost.

The only two major monuments not within walking distance from these first six

arrondissements would be the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coeur. The St. Ouen/Porte de

Clignancourt flea market can be reached quickly from the Montmartre neighborhoodwhich borders St. Ouen (but you can just as easily hop on the #4 Metro line from as far

away as the Left Bank). Pere Lachaise Cemetery is located in the last arrondissement, the

20th, completely to the east of the city center.

No matter where you choose to stay, theMetro in Parisdoes an excellent job of getting

you to any parts of the city. If you dont feel like taking the Metro and you enjoywalking, youll be able to walk to many of the major sites (except Montmartre, which is

too much of an uphill hike for most people, and Pere Lachaise, which is just too far from

the city center). The bus system is almost as good as the Metro (during the day). And

now theres Velib bike rentals that adds a new dimension to city transport.

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed one arrondissement is missing from this summary

the 17th arrondissement in Pariss northwest. This is a residential neighborhood which isvery Parisian. I am sure of this because our friend named France grew up here. She thinks

this is the most Parisian part of Paris, and it must be because you will rarely find it a

guide book. So we will respect the 17ths privacy at least until I find something therethat I cant resist sharing.
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paris is a city of villages

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