Eleanor Aldridge - Paris: A Curious Traveler’s Guide

Paris

ELEANOR ALDRIDGE

T oo many visitors focus on a staid tick-list approach to Pariss big attractions, leaving with a wallet of ticket stubs and phone jammed with photos, but little in the way of experiences or glimpses into Parisian life. This guide is different. We dont suggest that you completely shun the Louvre or the Orangerie for edgy coffee shops and far-flung quartiers. Instead, adopt the Parisian pace of life, finding a balance between the mainstream and offbeat sights. Leave plenty of time for the good things in life: eating, drinking, and simply soaking up your surroundings.

This book has been curated to guide you to the citys lesser-known highlights, from unusual artworks in the most-visited galleries to overlooked museums, secret squares, and parks where tourists rarely venture. You wont find snooty bistros or international chains here. Instead, expect local favorites: casual neighborhood spots, standing-room-only wine bars, and quirky boutique hotels. If somewhere isnt really worth visiting, even though its conveniently located or endlessly over-hyped, you wont find it included here.

To help you get the most from your trip, weve trawled the racks at the citys best consignment stores, sipped espressos (and even the odd matcha latte) at the most-talked-about cafs, and covered ourselves in crumbs while rigorously taste-testing the best croissants. Throughout this guide youll find the local insights weve gleaned along the way. What should you really order at apro hour? What souvenirs are actually worth buying? And how do you begin to choose from the myriad ptisseries on display in practically every street-corner bakery?

In short, we want to make a city thats renowned for being aloof approachable. This is an insiders guide without pretension.

S imply put, Paris is Europes most magical capital. Every clich about the city rings true. The Eiffel Tower really does provide a glittering backdrop to sunset picnics along the Seine; the sidewalk cafs are every bit as photogenic as youd expect; the diversity of the museums and galleries is astounding; and youll stumble upon a secret garden, monument, or architectural marvel at seemingly every turn. Theres a reason why this is the most visited city in the world.

A week here can easily be passed in a dreamlike haze, hopping between galleries and museums, snapping photos, and seeking out views. Days become punctuated by the boulangerie line at breakfast, choosing the best sunny caf for lunch, and settling in for three-hour dinners at night. After dark, you can trace the footsteps of film stars and literary heroes in the citys cabarets and cocktail bars. Few other places have played such an important role in the development of modern art and culture. Literary greats including Molire, Honor de Balzac, Victor Hugo, and Marcel Proust all called the city home. In the Roaring 20s, this is where the luminaries of the so-called lost generationincluding Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ford Madox Fordwrote some of their most famous works. Cubism was founded here by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Every form of music has flourished in the city, from classical, jazz, and rap to dith Piafs haunting ballads.

But if you come to Paris for a storybook trip alone, youre seriously missing out. Give yourself the chance to fall in love with Parisian life for what it really is; the experience will be richer and more memorable than what any tour could provide.

Paris isnt as picture-perfect as most travel guides would have you believe. Like all great cities, its loud, busy, and a little bit gritty. In the past few years, its also undergone a huge transformation. Once down-at-heel quartiers are now peppered with independent boutiques, specialty coffee shops, and secret speakeasies. A love affair with upscale fine dining has been replaced by one with cool-yet-casual bistros and new wave wine bars. Modern art isnt confined to galleries but is expressed through fashion, graffiti, and tattoos. The citys nightlife flourishes in clubs and at pop-up parties, while that freedom is curtailed in other European capitals in the face of regulation. And pioneering redevelopment projects are gradually pedestrianizing much of the city center, with a view to making Paris one of the worlds greenest capitals.

You wont find romance in the obvious places, but in the everyday: getting utterly lost in the backstreets of Montmartre, hopping down an art deco entrance to the mtro, finding a designer treasure at a flea market, deciphering a perplexing handwritten restaurant menu, or bagging a pair of rusty chairs to soak up the sun in the Jardin des Tuileries. The joy of visiting Paris isnt in seeing the big sights, but in discovering a little bit of Parisian life for yourself.

P aris is a relatively small city, divided into 20 arrondissements that spiral out from the Seine river in a snail-like curl. At the center are two islands, le Saint-Louis and le de la Cit, where the city was first settled and Notre-Dame Cathedral built. The most famous landmarksand consequently the largest numbers of touristsare found along the river, while many major museums and galleries lie along the stretch running from the Louvre toward the Champs-lyses.

North of the river, known as the Right Bank, is the citys heart and commercial center. Yet each neighborhood retains a distinct character, from historic spots like the Maraiss boutique-filled lanes and the galleried passages that intersect the citys classical boulevards to areas like Sentier that are being transformed by hip hotels and cocktail bars. Youll find the best views over the Right Banks myriad quartiers from the basilica of the Sacr-Cur, which is the crowning glory of hilltop Montmartre. Beneath it, Pigalle and SoPi are shaking off their once seedy reputations and becoming some of the best spots for nightlife and dining.

THE VIEW FROM THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE

THE PALAIS ROYAL

THE VIEW FROM THE SACR-CUR

SQUARE DU VERT-GALANT, ILE DE LA CIT

The Left Bank, south of the river, might have been bohemian in Hemingways day but is now smart and refinedand is generally known for being the most expensive part of Paris. Great art museums rub shoulders with high fashion in Saint-Germain, while the Jardin du Luxembourg remains the most genteel green space for a stroll. In the Latin Quarter, you can trace the citys revolutionary student history, or step back in time with a visit to the citys few remaining Roman ruins. Head farther south and youll find yourself in a swathe of peaceful residential districts, dotted by a couple of unusual sights.