bettyo70

Hello all fans of Paris,
Is the MARAIS district the best area to stay in when we visit Paris this fall?
I heard it resembles the West Village of NYC, maybe with a dash of SoHo -- with cafes, galleries, cobblestore streets, boutiques...
Or has it become very loud and touristy?
I love cafes, discovering new, small clothing boutiques and galleries, but not necessarily tons of people around all the time.
Any other suggestions for nice Parisian neighborhoods are greatly appreciated!
Also love discovering new music clubs.
MERCI!

mamc

I'm not sure I picture the west Village when I am in the Marais. It is one of the interesting places to stay and certainly to visit. We prefer the 6th Arrondisement - from St Germaine to the Seine. It is full of cafes, galleries, cobblestone streets and boutiques and centrally located so it is easy to walk many of the places you want to go. Depending on what time of year you go, there will be lots of people around but that is part of the charm of Paris - sitting in a sidewalk cafe and watching all of the people.

francophile03

I realize this is a personal opinion, but I second mamc's comments about staying in St. Germain.

Margie

I truly don't think there is a *best* area to stay in. Each area of Paris has something special to offer, and as francophile03 said, everyone has their opinion. For instance, we found parts of the Latin Quarter way too busy/crowded for our tastes as far as a place to stay, but others really go for it and swear by staying in the 5th. We love the Marais and will stay there when we return. I have heard nice comments about the 6th & 7th too.

BTilke

Margie's right, there is no one "best" neighborhood. We usually stay in the 16th, which many people label as dull (although we've *never* found it boring and it has many nice shops and lively restaurants and cafes off the usual tourist radar).
We stayed in the Marais once for two weeks and didn't really care for it. And we've been there on a few sunny week-ends where the streets around the Place Vosges were ridiculously crowded, almost impassable. But others here love it. It does have more nightlife than many other areas, but
the 11th also has a good club scene going, as does the Montmartre area and parts of the Latin Quarter.

Laidback

BettyO,

There is no "best"area of Paris. Usually it is the one you become familiar with. Conversely there are some "worst" areas but none that you would be likely to find as a tourist. I have stayed in the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th and 13th and make forays into most quarters and enjoy them all. Each has it's own character. My wife and I have come to prefer staying in the 7th, in the area between Invalides and the Eiffel Tower because of it's beautiful open green spaces and the relative calm at night, as well as the upscale markets and restaurants which are abundant in this neighborhood to service the wealthy residents. We love the manic frenzy of the Latin quarter,the beauty of the Luxembourg gardens and ambiance of the area around St. Sulpice in the 6th the view from Montmartre and the "Amelie" area; the rabbit warren of little atreets with the strong Jewish and Gay influence in the Marais, but we are always happy to "come back home" to the more sedate serenity of the 7th at night. Try several neighborhoods...read Thirza Vallois book "Around and About Paris", probably the best description of the neighborhoods.

ira

Hi betty,

It might be the best for you.

The 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 14th are popular.

bettyo70

Thanks, Everyone, for your personal thoughts. BTilke: What is the 16th like? More residential with families?

bettyo70

topping

Gretchen

The 16eme is a very upscale residential area of Paris. I also think it is sort of far from the main sights, although of course, anywhere is accessible by Metro. I visit it each time we are in Paris because my parents lived there long long ago.

Chatters

I have stayed in the 5th, 6, 7th, and 12th. Loved, loved, loved the 6th. HOWEVER, I have NO complaints on the other neighborhoods.

Europewithkids

My family will be staying in the 16th in a few weeks. I have not been, but I did a lot of research and I chose it because it sounds very nice, quiet at night, lots of nice places to eat, fewer tourists, 15 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower. It also did not hurt that comparable hotels in more touisted areas cost significantly more (we are taking 2 rooms for 7 nights, so the cost differential added up quickly). I'll let you know!

BKD

We prefer Ile St. Louis. It feels like a little village in the middle of Paris. We rented an apartment there last week and it was wonderful. Down side is that there is no metro on the island, but it's not a far walk to the Pont Marie stop or the Cite stop by Notre Dame. We had everything on the Ile: good restaurants, bakeries, cheese store, small grocery, bank, post office, shops, art galleries. In five minutes you can walk to Notre Dame, St. Germain, Place Maubert. It was our second time to stay on Ile St. Louis and I know we'll be back.

martytravels

The Marais, Quartier Latin or St. Germain des Pres, IMHO. Lots of good places to eat, shop and soak up Paris in all three spots, and all of them are central to a lot of sights. (St. Germain/Latin Quarter are close to Notre Dame, Ile de la Cite, Pantheon etc.; the Marais in convenient to the Louvre, the Opera)

wandrlst

I second the suggestion for Ile St. Louis. There are two islands on the river between the left and right banks. Notre Dame Cathedral is on one and considered the very center of Paris. I believe other addresses are measured from this center. Ile St. Louis is the other island. It is very residential with local shops, restaurants, and brasseries, plus the shop for the best ice cream in Paris (see other posts). It was very easy to walk to all the popular sights from there or the metro was located right over the short bridge. Since I like to be where the locals are, this place was perfect, and I felt safe as a solo traveler. I would stay there again.