Paris Batignolles (17ème)

There's a reason the 17ème isn't a go-to tourist destination. Sights in the traditional sense are few and far between here, but the mostly residential neighborhood and its juxtaposition of bourgeois and working-class Paris is still worth exploring. The lively Village Batignolles is a highlight; stretching from Bld. de Batignolles to place du Dr. Félix Lobligeois, the area is lined with hip cafes and populated by locals who believe in afternoon drinking. During warmer months, rue de Levis turns into an open-air market, and the local groceries and boutiques park their carts of bananas and hang their canopies of frilly skirts outside to tempt passerby.

Square de Batignolles, Formerly a hamlet for workers, and then a storage sight for illicit ammunition, Square des Batignolles is now an English-style park where the trees grow wild, unfettered by neutoric French trimmings and metal bars. Monet once sat here to paint the Gare St-Lazare train tracks, before heading over to a favorite cafe at 11 rue de Batignolles. Today, less illustrious but just as ambitious artists line its winding paths, watching the local joggers go by. The gently flowing river and pooling lake make the park an idyllic respite from the bustle of the city. Brochant. Walk down rue Brochant. Cross place de Charles Fillion Free. Open M-F 8am-9:30pm, Sa-Su and holidays 9am-9:30pm.
Cimitiere de Batignolles, 8 rue St-Just (☎01 53 06 38 68), Cemeteries are known for being creepy; this one does nothing to reverse that reputation. Mossy tombstones, unkempt streets, and a lingering smell of pee make for an unsettling cemetery-going experience; we'd bring Buffy along if we were you, just in case. If you can stand the heebie jeebies, verse poet Paul Verlaine and, fittingly, surrealist authors André Breton and Benjamin Peret are among its notable interred. Port de Clichy. Walk north along avenue Port de Clichy and turn right onto avenue du Cimitière des Batignolles. Request free map inside. Open Mar 16-Nov 5 M-F 8am-6pm, Sa 8:30am-6pm, Su and holidays 9am-6pm. Nov 6-Mar 15 M-F 8am-5:30pm, Sa 8:30am-5:30pm, Su and holidays 9am-5:30pm. Conservation Bureau open M-F 8am-noon and 2-5:30pm. Last entry 5:15pm.
Cite des Fleurs, This row of lavish private homes and gardens in an otherwise working class neighborhood encapsulates the socioeconomic contradictions of the 17ème. Owners are required to plant at least three flowering trees in their gardens, resulting in an uncommonly pretty drive. If you're in the area, it can be a pleasant respite.
Musee de Jean-Jacques Henner, 43 avenue de Villiers (☎01 47 63 42 73), Known for the two big e's in painting---eroticism and exoticism---Jean-Jacques Henner's work is displayed here in one of its most important collections. If you're not a big fan of his work, you might consider skipping the museum.