Kerouac abandons his usual Parisian turf
 

One thing that is sort of terrible when you live in Paris is that even though you think you are constantly discovering new things, you are basically just covering slight variations of your usual places. Obviously, I like Bohemian and countercultural areas, so often I go looking for more of the same. This is wrong.

So, last week I decided that I needed to go and look at places where I never go. Well, actually, I often needed to go to specfic points there, but you just rush in and out when you are certain that it is not your kind of place.

If anybody is interested, I very courageously rediscovered the 16th arrondissement: http://tinyurl.com/parisxvi

What interesting architecture, especially the red brick building with the staggered windows.

As most tourists, we have only been in the 16th to see the Musee Marmottan. As we exited the Metro we took a wrong turn and got hopelessly lost which did give a chance to see some interesting streets & buildings. After a while we entered a real estate office to get some help. The gentleman was very kind and spoke some English. He pointed us in the right direction for the museum. Sometimes getting lost is a good part of the adventure. We thought that we'd like to see more of the 16th and now we have through your photos. Thanks for posting.

your photos provide a fascinating insight into Paris, Kerouac.

my favourite was towards the top - the Honest Lawyer of course.

Wonderful, wonderful walks, Kerouac!

I wish you hadn't shown the pictures of the high end consignment shops, however. I know where I will find my wife on our next visit in October. Well, it is better than her looking in the full price shops.

What an interesting tour. I love your photo journeys. Thanks so much for sharing. You have a great eye and give us so much historical info and tidbits.

I also want to tell you that when I am lonely for Paris (just about every moment of the day) it's so comforting to know that I can revisit a number of your posts and feed my spirit.

Thanks again for a very nice tour, K

Hi Kerouac,

Thanks so much for that swing through the 16th. Like TPAYT, my only experience in the area was going to the Musee Marottan-Monet which I thought was terrific.

Of course, the museum building is one of those “hotel particuliers” built originally by the Duke of Valmy as a hunting lodge near the Bois de Boulogne. Looking out the windows of the museum through its lovely grounds, I could see some beautiful apartments/residences. And such window treatments.

On the way out of Paris on our way to Normandy on our mundane Globus Tour, the tour director pointed out those many private streets in the 16th including the Villa Montmorency where Celine Dion lives. Even saw where Proust was born. Tres chic!

Great buildings. We had an Honest Lawyer in Ilkley until the local QCs all complained. ;-)

Gated communities, I hate them.

Great report - again - thanks so much. Last year in Paris I snuck into one of those private streets when someone was coming out, had a good sticky beak and then found myself locked in!! ooops, had to wait until another resident was coming in so I could sneak out again. A bit embarrassing. Love the area though,

schnauzer

To Kerouac- I don't know why, but this thread reminded me of something I clearly recall from several of my visits to Paris some years ago. I was staying in the 15th arr., I believe. Practially every day, I would pass a giant mural on the side of a building, which said, I believe, "the 20th century belongs to them", or something similar to that. As I recall, the mural was close to the little Statue of Liberty, near the Seine. The last time I went to Paris, the mural had disappeared. The mural had astounding paintings of the giants of the 20th century. It had likenesses of Churchill, De Gaulle, Louis Armstrong, Lindburg, Joe DiMaggio, Clark Gable, and many, many others in what looked like they were sitting in a large grandstand. The more I looked at it, the more I saw. There must have been a couple of hundred luminaries of the century, too much for my memory. I took several photos of this mural, but I cannot find them now. Do you remember this mural? If you do, what has become of it? Which idiot had the nerve to dispose of it? If you do remember, please let us know. I'm sure there is some history behind it, and if anyone knows, it has to be you. I probably will never go to Paris any longer, but I loved the city, and I surely will miss my large mural.

Thanks for another interesting and informative tour, Kerouac. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Kerouac, interesting! I think you would hate Monaco. :)

I've been to Monaco plenty of times. I've even spent the night there. ;-)

Here's an architectural gem in the 16th that can be visited:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57623299527007

There are all sorts of places to see in the 16th. It is, after all, the largest arrondissement. I know that I need to go and take some photos of rue Mallet-Stevens.

Another interesting report from you. I, too, have only been as far as the Marmottan in the 16th.

I'm curious as to why the French call some residential streets "villas." I noticed that's true also in the Mouzaïa. Can't find any such definition of the word in my Petit Larousse.

Waldo, if I am not mistaken, that wall was a giant advertisement for the RTL radio station. The reason that it no longer exists is because the Japanese cultural center was built on that spot.

http://www.artsprogrammemagazine.fr/...JaponParis.jpg

<i>It is, after all, the largest arrondissement.</i>

According to wikipedia:

The second largest after the 12th if the parks are included (Bois de Boulognne & Bois de Vincennes) and still the second largest if the parks are excluded--the 15th is then larger.

Okay, well, it's the only one with two postal codes! 75016 and 75116!