found out we'll be staying at Mercure Lyon Beaux-Arts. is anyone familiar with this hotel?
also, i keep reading about the electric supply being different than what im used to. will i be able to purchase the neccesary equipment in lyon to charge my phone?

The voltage in France is 220V and the US is 110-120V. For your phone and other electronics you may bring you should be okay with an adapter. Check the instructions for your equipment to make sure.

I've never stayed at the Mercure Beaux Arts, but I can tell you that it's in a really good position, right in the centre of town.

There are lots of good bars and shops (not all high end, plenty of skate/streetwear places) in the vicinity and you'll find plenty of street art/graffiti in this area also.

One artist look out for is knar, whose work is all over the city and who has pretty much become Lyon's 'official' street artist, with his work having been hung on the outside of the town hall as well as on other official buildings.

Here's a link to some of his work (the site's in French, but I'm sure you can run it through your online translator of choice) to give you a feel for it;

http://www.fatcap.org/article/interview-knar.html

You're also a short walk from the Croix Rousse area, where lots of creatives and artists live and work, so you'll find plenty of street art there as well.

If your interest in 'urban culture' extends to rap, there are loads of Lyonnais rap/hip hop collectives and there are concerts on most nights of the week. Check out the Petit Bulletin;

http://www.petit-bulletin.fr/lyon/index.html

again the link is French, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.

The Pockemon [sic] Crew are multiple world breakdancing champions from Lyon and can often be found practicing under the arches of the Opera House on Place de la Comedie, and are always worth a look.

There's plenty going on so you don't have to set foot inside a museum if you don't want to, although I'm struggling to think of somewhere where you could watch wrestling or American football. I'll get my thinking cap on...

thanks Jay_G those look very promising. definately take this into consideration

No problem brandon.

When are you going? There are lots of events happening during July and August if you're about. IAM (arguably the biggest rappers in France) are performing at les nuits de fourviere festival this year and are definitely worth an evening of anyone's time.

(Almost) all cell phone, iPad, laptop, etc. chargers or power cords will work with both 110 v. and 220 v. electricity, but the WALL OUTLETS are configured differently, so you need an ADAPTER that you plug into the French outlet and then stick your US (?) plug into.

I'm with dwdvagamundo about the silk history. It might be something to share with your wife if she has free time. And after, you can buy her some silk.

im going in late may

It's almost a shame you're going in late May (inasmuch as it can ever be a shame to be in Lyon) as you will have just missed one of the other music festivals in Lyon, les nuits sonores

http://www.nuits-sonores.com/en/ (link for anyone else that be there at that time)

which is more indie/electro but has some hip hop artists performing this year as well.

I've just had a bit of a dig (because I've got some downtime at work) and there's this event going on at around the same time as you'll (possibly) be there;

http://www.fnacspectacles.com/place-...THER-LTOGE.htm

which could be interesting.

If you don't fancy paying to see bands, lots of bars (including a couple of the barges which have been turned into bars and are now moored on the banks of the Rhone) have groups/DJs playing regularly with no entry fee required. Just turn up, buy your bottle of Sprite and enjoy the show...