Experienced Paris-philes: what neighborhood do you prefer to stay in?
 

Hi Fodorites,

I'm starting to plan my next trip to Paris (yayy!) and plan to rent an apartment again. Last time I somehow ended up near Chatelet-Les Halles, my least favorite part of the city center. Even being just off Rue Montorgeuil didn't make up for it.

So, for those of you who have rented short-term apartments in Paris.... where do you like to stay? What neighborhood makes you feel like you're living your Parisian fantasy life?

St. Germain or the 7th.

The 3rd, close to Rue Bretagne, although it was so crowded the last time we were there I'm contemplating moving closer to Oberkampf in the 11th.

I forgot to add the last part of my question!!! WHY do you like your chosen neighborhood?

Being as it was the first time I ever went to France (or Europe), I love Le Quartier Latin. So, the 5th and 6th arrondissements. I was on a high school trip and we stayed at Lycée St Louis, so I can't vouch for any apartments as this was skatey-8 years ago :-). But the area still holds my heart.

PegS, I agree, my memories of my last trip to Paris are of Le Marais being extremely touristy in general! Is it all like that, or was I in the wrong place/at the wrong time?

I am all about the 6th near Odeon or near St Germain des Pres. Lots of cafes, great little shops and boutiques, great metro access and east to get to the major sites. The seventh was a little blah, for me and I did not love the right bank.

The good news is that it is Paris so you can't really go wrong. I am sure you will get lots of opinions on this!

Imelda, I just think it's gotten tres trendy. I'm a tourist, staying in the heart of Paris, so I know I'm going to encounter fellow travelers, but it felt like there were a preponderance of well-off, young British types. A number of the smaller shops I'd remembered had also gotten taken over by expensive trendier ones.

To answer your other question: the reason I liked it so much (and still do, to some degree) was because it was full of food shops and sweet little boutiques plus older mom and pop shops, all along those winding streets.

I love the 11th, by the Voltaire metro. It's quintessentially Parisian. A working neighborhood, few tourists, great restaurants and shops.

Having said that, I also love the 12th just south of the Ledru Rollin metro as well. You have the Marche d'Aligre, more great restaurants and shops and again, few tourists.

I find rentals much less expensive as well, in both these areas.

I like the 4th but next time we will certainly head further out, I like the 11th and 12th too.

Anywhere within short walking distance to the Luxembourg Gardens. Odeon, Rue Jacob, Rue Bonaparte ideal.

Thin

We always stay in the 5th or 6th - but in a hotel - because we want full services (including concierge and room service). And we find this most convenient to many things we ant to see/do.

We are tourists and don't want to pretend we live in Paris - unless, after we retire, we actually take 2 or 3 months and do so.

6th, as I shop and am walking distance to most of my boutiques in the 6th and 7th and can walk to Le Bon March department store. Plus, I eat regularly at a restaurant in the 6th. I also go to the interior design stores and art galleries in the 6th.

10th, as I can walk to the Canal St. Martin and a Parisian friend also lives in the 10th.

19th, as when my Parisian friend's stepfather owned an apartment building there, they would invite me to stay with them, from time to time, as they had a great 3-story apartment with roof-top terrace. It was very relaxing there and there was a bus that I could get on and easily get over to the Left Bank to do my shopping and restaurants and then my Parisian friend and I would go back to the 19th, in her car, after she got off work. She's been a hotel manager in the 6th for decades.

If I were to own a place in Paris, it would be in one of the above districts.

Happy Travels!

" Having said that, I also love the 12th just south of the Ledru Rollin metro as well. You have the Marche d'Aligre, more great restaurants and shops and again, few tourists. "

We stayed in this area ( two minutes from the Marche) last summer
and liked the non- turisty feel.
But, we have been to Paris numerous times and in different areas ...it was something new.
OP should follow Thin's suggestions.

We have always stayed in the 6th (hotels and apartments) until our trip last fall when we stayed in an apartment on the Ile de St. Louis. Both are centrally located, charming, and have plenty of cafes, little shops and atmosphere.

I'm loving these suggestions! You all are confirming my inclination towards the St-Germain area. I also was looking at Ile St Louis, but St Germain is more convenient.

The last area I was considering was north of the Louvre, south of Opera, perhaps around the Palais Royal area or Vendome.

Any thoughts on that area instead of St-Germain? Does it feel less neighborhoody? (not that St Germain feels all *that* neighborhoody to me) Is it too generic/ high-end brand-name-y?

Thanks!

The most "experienced" ones are probably the worst ones to ask because once an area begins to feel like home, you don't give a thought to most of the rest of Paris.

It is interesting to note that as much as American visitors say they love the 4th and the 6th, those that move to Paris almost never live there -- because almost nobody can afford it. The 6th is the most expensive arrondissement in Paris for real estate, even though the residents of the 7th, 8th and 16th are richer. So the downside is that everything in the 6th costs more than elsewhere, from croissants to restaurant meals to hotel rooms.

My favorite place to stay is St Germain but I also like Palais Royal.

The agency we like to rent from has several very nice apartments in Palais Royal. When the St Germain apartment we wanted wasn't available we decided to try the Palais Royal apt. While it is definitely not a neighborhood feel, we really enjoyed taking a bottle of wine out into the gardens and enjoying the fountain and views in the evening. There were several good restaurants/wine bars in the area and good bus/metro transportation.

My favourite is the 18th, between Chateau Rouge and Sacré coeur.
Chateau rouge is the gate to a very busy popuplar area of Paris. Sacre Coeur is very touristy and inbetween is village like.

I like 17th very much too, for basically the same reasons (Batignolle Area for me).

16th is nice, but too quiet, it is usually where we stay in family.

I'm starting to like 15th.

I love the 12th, close to Bastille in the general direction of Nation.

5th towards the 13th is a zone I also like a lot - close to Mouffetard or in La butte aux cailles, touristy but also village like.

And Finally I like the 20th around Menilmontant.

I realize I'm atypical because I don't like the inner arrondissements. Note that I'm working in Paris so only stay in evenings/early mornings... Proximity to the sites doesn't count for me and Latin Quarter are too touristy.

Also, I'm frenchspealing so have no problem communicating.

Anyway, as you see from this thread, all of Paris is nice !!!

I've had loads of home exchanges with a flat near Faidherbe-Chaligny on the 11th/12th boundary, and have stayed in the République/Oberkampf areas, up near La Villette in the 19th, and right out to the north west at Porte de Champerret in the 17th. All were OK, but on the whole, I'm another one for broadly east and north of Bastille.

A bit more travelling for the main tourist attractions, but I no longer feel the need to visit those much, if at all, and as a Londoner, I don't feel them to be long distances. But people for whom this might be their only visit might experience it differently.