Orientation

Situated in the physical center of Paris, these two islands are where the French monarchy (and the country itself) grew up, sheltered by the easily defendable Seine. Some 2000 years later, after the monarchy was politely asked to step down from power, the symbolic presence still remains. Île de la Cité is the larger island, where the French officially marked kilomètre zéro, a circular sundial in front of Notre Dame, as the point from which all distances in France are measured. This island is also where you’ll find the seat of government and the judicial palace. The smaller Île St-Louis is a little more laid-back and is home to cafes and restaurants that aren’t choked with tourists. We were hard pressed to find a non-uniformed French person on these islands, unless you count gypsies. You can’t blame them for hanging out in this area, since the high prices guarantee that tourists will be carrying a lot of cash. When you’re exploring Île St-Louis, keep one eye on the sights and the other on your wallet.

The Marais embodies the ultimate ugly duckling tale. Originally a bog—marais means “marsh”—the area became livable in the 13th century when monks drained the land to build the Right Bank. When Henri IV constructed the glorious place des Vosges in the early 17th century, the area suddenly became the city’s center of fashionable living, with luxury and scandal taking hold. Royal haunts gave way to slums and tenements during the Revolution, and many of the grand hôtels particuliers fell into ruin or disrepair. In the 1950s, the Marais was revived and declared a historic neighborhood; since then, decades of gentrification and renovation have restored the Marais to its pre-Revolutionary glory. Once-palatial mansions have become exquisite museums, and the tiny twisting streets are covered with hip bars, avant-garde galleries, and one-of-a-kind boutiques. Rue des Rosiers, in the heart of the 4ème, is the center of Paris’s Jewish population, though the steady influx of hyper-hip clothing stores threatens its identity. Superb kosher delicatessens neighbor Middle Eastern and Eastern European restaurants, and the Marais remains livelier on Sundays than the rest of the city. The Marais is unquestionably the GLBT center of Paris, with the community’s hub at the intersection of rue Sainte-Croix de la Brettonerie and rue Vieille du Temple. Though the steady stream of tourists has begun to wear on the Marais’s eclectic personality, the district continues to be a distinctive mix of old and new, queer and straight, cheap and chic.

With tourist attractions and museums on every corner, it can be difficult to find a deal in the 7ème. This neighborhood is spread out, so orienting yourself isn’t always easy. At the center are Tour Eiffel and Invalides, each with a large grassy lawn in front, Champ de Mars and Esplanade des Invalides respectively. Rue de l’Université and the quais run parallel along the Seine throughoutthe neighborhood, while the main roads in and out of the center are av. de Bourdonnais, which leads to quai Branly, and av. Bosquet, which leads to Musée d’Orsay. Travelers should take advantage of metro lines 6, 8, and 13.

The 9ème and the 10ème are the more difficult neighborhoods to wander due to their lack of tall landmarks (as opposed to, for example, the 7ème’s Eiffel Tower, or the 18ème’s Sacré-Cœur). Criss-crossing the 9ème are the main roads rue la Fayette and rue Fontaine, with the famous Opéra Garnier sitting in the southeast corner next to its appropriately named Metro stop. This is a neighborhood of extremes: the northern boundary is just before the red light district of Pigalle, the southern is marked by the chic shopping districts on the Grands Boulevards, and there is enough residential area in between to make it feel less touristy.

Right next to the 9ème, the 10ème is known (and named for) the Canal Saint-Martin, which runs along the eastern border of the arrondissement. Stray too far from this “mini-Seine” (i.e., anywhere west of bd de Magenta) and you’ll find yourself smack in the middle of the sketchy area that surrounds the Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est. If the gun armories and cash-for-gold stores didn’t give you a hint, we’ll tell you to stay clear of this area at night.

These three arrondissements, which make up nearly one-sixth of Paris, lack the photo ops and famous sights that attract tourists elsewhere in the city. However, they do portray the local side of Paris: more laid-back, cheaper, and friendlier. The 13ème has a strange combination of characters thanks to Chinatown, around rue de Tolbiac, and the small hippie enclave surrounding rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles, which avoids the capitalist drive to overcharge for meals or entertainment. The main hub of the 13ème is Place d’Italie, where you can find brasseries and a huge mall. Montparnasse is more homogeneous than the 13ème and is similar to the St-Germain of the 1920s. Here you’ll find bohemian Parisians whose souls have yet to harden. Markets, cemeteries, and major boulevards cater to the locals. On the border between the 14ème and 15ème, the domineering Tour de Montparnasse gives a point of reference and access to transport almost anywhere in the city, while boulevard de Rennes and boulevard Raspail lead to St-Germain. The 15ème is quiet and even more residential than the 13ème and 14ème; most travelers don’t make it farther south than bd de Grenelle.

Montmartre may just be the most eccentric of Paris’s arrondissements, featuring scenic vistas at the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, historic cabarets, the Butte vineyard, and the unsurprisingly skin-toned establishments in the Red Light District on the southern border. Hiking the 130m hill can be a challenge. The 18ème has recently exploded with youth hostels that keep bars full at night while simultaneously giving pickpockets an easy target.