Paris Butte-aux-cailles And Chinatown

There are no monuments in the 13ème to speak of, and that's to its credit. Diverse, residential, and pleasantly odd, the neighborhoods here retain the daily rhythm of Parisian life, and remain uninterrupted by the troops of pear-shaped tourists in matching fanny packs that plague the more pristine arrondissements. Though short on medieval cathedrals, hidden gems from Paris's more recent legacy of mass immigration and perturbed Bo-Bos (i.e., Bohemian Bourgeosie) are scattered throughout the area. Adventurous wanderers will enjoy getting lost in the quirky and sprawling Chinatown, and the formerly working class Butte-aux-Cailles neighborhood harbors a thriving street-art culture.

Quartier de la Butte-aux-Cailles, Intersection of rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles and rue 5 diamants Once a working class neighborhood, the Quartier de la Butte-aux-Cailles was home to the soixantes-huitards, the activists who nearly paralyzed the city during the 1968 riots. Permutations of the district's original counter-culture remain alive and well: dreadlocks are the hairstyle of choice, and the fashionably disaffected tag walls with subversive graffiti and are armed with guitars at all times. Funky restaurants like Chez Gladines and the co-operative Le Temps des Cerises line the cobbled streets, and attract a boisterous, artsy crowd. L'Église de St. Anne, which stands on the corner of rue Bobillot and rue de Tolbiac, boasts a gorgeous stain-glass collection that refracts the afternoon sun into red, blue, and purple light. Corvisart. Exit onto bld. Blanqui and then turn onto rue 5 diamants, which will intersect with rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles.
Quartier Chinois, Just south of rue de Tolbiac Spread out over four metro stops just south of rue de Tolbiac, Paris's Chinatown is home to a significant population of Cambodian, Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese immigrants. Signs change from French to Asian languages, and restaurants advertise steamed dumplings in lieu of magret de canard. Non-residents roam the streets looking for the best Asian cuisine Paris has to offer. Porte d'Ivry, Porte de Choisy, Tolbiac and Maison Blanche are near Chinatown.
Bibilotheque Nationale de France: Site Francois Mitterand, 11 quai Francois Mauriac (☎01 53 79 59 59; www.bnf.fr), With its wide windows and and towering steel frame, the library is an imposing piece of architecture worthy of the 13 million volumes it houses. Highlights of the collection include Guttenberg Bibles and first editions from the Middle Ages, and are displayed in rotation the Galerie des Donateurs. The exhibit can be accessed for free. Scholars hunker down beneath the vaulted ceiling of the library's imposing reading room, or lounge on the extensive deck, surveying the Seine with cigarettes in hand. Quai de la Gare. Day pass to reading rooms €3.30. 15-day pass €20. Annual membership €35, students €18. Open M 2-7pm, Tu-Sa 10am-7pm, Su 1pm-7pm. Tours Tu-F 2pm, Sa-Su 3pm. €3. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Église de Sainte-Anne de la Butte-aux-Cailles, 189 rue de Tolbiac (☎01 45 89 34 73; www.paroissesainteanne-paris.fr), Though this church is neither as grand nor as famous as the Notre Dame, its exceptionally gorgeous stained-glass windows make it worth a visit. Instead of depicting religious figures, the windows refract light through a series of intricate patterns, sending a shock of kaleidescoped light into the white marble interior of the church. Visitors are welcome to sit in the quiet pews. Tolbiac. Mass M 7 pm, Tu 9am and 7pm, W 9am and noon, Th 9am and 7 pm, F 9am and noon, Sa 9am. Wheelchair-accessible entrance 11 rue Martin Bernard. Open M-F 10am-noon and 4-6:45pm, Sa 10am-noon and 4-6pm. Wheelchair access.