Should you visit Parc Monceau be sure to stop at this museum. I spent a few hours here.

http://www.museums-of-paris.com/musee_en.php?code=409

Go for a picnic the parc André Citroen in the 15th, and go up in the tethered balloon.

Go for a stroll along the Promenade Plantée (starting in the 12th near Bastille). http://france-for-visitors.com/paris...e-plantee.html

Go to La Mascotte in Montmarte for a wonderful shellfish lunch or dinner.
Sit up front(not in the non smoking section) and watch the world unfold around you.

Sorry to nitpick, but people do read these threads to get accurate information.

La banlieu refers to all of the towns surrounding an urban center (in this case, Paris) -- i.e., the suburbs. Some of them contain public housing.

"They give rise to banlieusards which invade Paris very frequently, almost daily in fact."

Many of them "invade" to go to work.

Père Lachaise is a very interesting place to visit, but it is in the 20th arrondissement, not the 7th.

>"They give rise to banlieusards which invade Paris very frequently, almost daily in fact."

Many of them "invade" to go to work.<

BB, you have to put smiley faces after every bit of humor. :)

((I))

Agree about the tethered balloon in Parc Andre Citroen. I've been up it a few times and never had to wait in line (except of course, that the balloon was usually up in the air and I had to wait for it to come back down)...the last time I went up, the "basket" (which is quite large) had only 6 people in it beside the operator. Except for me, everyone on board was French.
Much of the 16th is pretty tourist free (although not expat free, many anglophone expats live in the 16th, esp. around Passy and in the neighborhood near the Marmottan).
But with only eight days, the OP won't be able to see ALL the normal sights unless they are "hit and run" visits.

In March and April, we stayed in the 11th where we went to many restaurants and we were always the only tourists there. Here are our favorites:

Au Trou Normand, 9 rue Jean Pierre Timbaud (11th.) Great meals for 50 euros for two with wine. Went there several times.

Chez Imogene, 25 rue Jean Pierre Timbaud (11th arr). Wonderful crepes and salads, 36 Euros for both of us, very popular, go early.

Au Coin de Malte, 21 rue Oberkampf (11th). Family style cooking, very small, only open from 8:00 -9:30 pm, simple, good cooking, 3- course prix-fixe meal for 11 Euros each.

Chez Paul, 13 rue Charonne (11th). Loved the steak with béarnaise sauce, no prix-fixe, 51 Euros for two with wine.

This one is not in the 11th, but on a Sunday afternoon, it was filled with French families:
Le Grand Bleu, Port de l’Arsenal, Blvd. de la Bastille (12th arr). Right on St. Martin's Canal and lovely to eat outside. Great seafood and salads. 32 Euros for two plus wine.

someday, this is an old article but very informative.

http://www.marneweb.com/bnb/veronique_vienne.htm

the area around the Canal St Martin is getting cooler, so there are interesting boutiques, restaurants, the canals themselves and no tourist crush (yet)

It's not completely off the tourist track, but a trip to the Musee Marmottan (16th arrondissement, where I live and work) is worth it. The Musee Marmottan is in a lovely mansion with a garden and has the largest collection of Monets in the world. There is also a lovely collection of illuminated manuscripts. It's a short walk from La Muette metro stop on the 9 Line. Nearby (actually, en route from the metro to the museum) are the Jardins de Ranelagh, a pretty set of small parks (picnics prohibited, though). You are also close to the Bois de Boulogne: a stroll around the small lakes is nice. Rue Passy offers some upscale shopping and a chance to observe French bourgeois ladies who lunch in their native habitat.

I would second the visit to the Marmottan. The Monet paintings in the lower level are important paintings from the later part of his life when his failing eyesight influenced his palette. There is a letter from Monet complaining that the Marmottans are taking his work home up the Seine before the paint has a chance to dry.
Rue Passy from the Muette metro stop has several great patisseries. Rue Mozart may still have the shop "le weekend"- a house and garden shop for the well to do Parisienne.
A note: you will have the museum almost to yourself if you go during the week. We shared Monet with a very well behaved grade school class with a teacher and a docent.
Enjoy

Here's what I posted elsewhere, and this is non-touristy:

The 15ième is shock-full of art nouveau buildings. Just off the rue des Entrepreneurs there is a whole complex from around 1910. You can't miss it if you keep your eyes open. Keep on walking down to the end of the street, and you will come across the very nice square St. Lambert. A couple of blocks before it, on the left side of the street, there is a great grocery store--expensive, but with wonderful fruit. On the other side of the sqaure St. Lambert is the mairie of the 15ième. If you can, go see the murals in its salle des fêtes. Continue to the rue de Vaugirard, make a left and an immediate right in the square Vergennes (it looks like a private street). Admire the building at the end, a recently restored Robert Mallet-Stevens house.

In another direction, toward the Seine, there is the square Bela Bartok, which is a jewel among the modern buildings. It would be on the way to the Eiffel tower from the Charles-Michel métro stop. Walking up the rue St. Charles, there is an excellent bakery on the left side of the street. You can't miss it as it is advertised as "un meilleur ouvrier de France."

Again, Thank you all for your suggestions we have taken note of all and will do our best to visit those areas as time allows.

Rue des Martyrs (9th arrondissement)on Sunday mornings when the street is closed to traffic. All the shops are open and it has a very festive air. I was there last December around Christmas time and it was unforgettable. Entire families were strolling along the street and the wares from each shop were spilled out around them. Neighbors greeted each other enthusiastically and an accordionist playing music on one of the street corners. Add in all the Christmas decorations and it was scene right out of Central Casting.

Another vote for Marmottan and the surrounding area. Interesting shops if you don't mind wandering a bit.

Take a map.

The rue Poncelet market off of Avenue des Ternes in the 17th is a great experience. You could combine a visit there with a meal at the Entrecote or Relais de Venise restaurant (they only serve steak-frites) on the corner of Rue Debarcadere and Bld Pereire a few steps away from the Porte Maillot metro stop.

I loved Euro Disney. Nice train ride outside of Paris.

LOL! Of course, just kidding.