We are staying in an apartment on Rue Abbesses in Montmarte,any suggestions on where to eat, etc. Also heard to avoid some areas of Montmarte, anyone have any problems in this area.

I do not know your street but the area is rife with sex shops and "sex workers."

My recollection is that the area around rue Abbesses is actually charming. It is the 'Amelie' section of Paris. True, not too far away are the sex shops of Pigalle (also like in Amelie), but this need not bother you.

Sex shops and sex workers are around Pigalle and Place Clichy. Rue des Abbesses is a very nice and lively street with lots of food shops and a Sunday open-air market.

Thanks, will rent Amelie this weekend, heard this area was nice, just got concerned about bus stops and such. Any advice on advoiding street crime such as pick pockets, what bus or metro to avoid, etc

grumlin,

I was just in Paris last month and did a Context Paris walking tour one day in Montmartre, I'm not an expert on the area by any means having only spent a few hours but I never felt unsafe.

I did want to mention you should have a look at the Abbesses metro entrance. When we came up from the metro (200+ stairs...later I was told there is an elevator)we were in a rather nice little park. The entrance is 1 of (I believe) only 2 in Paris that still has the full canopy in tact. It was rather nice to see what all the metro entrances looked like "back in the day". If you are staying in the area it should be easy to check out.

Hi G,

The Abesses stop is way, way underground, and the elevators aren;t always working.

You can get back and forth on the montmartrobus from Pigalle.

I've stayed in Montmarte twice now, and love it. I think rue Abbesses is very charming, and you are near wonderful markets. I've walked all over the area day and night, and never felt unsafe on the street or using the metro. Pigalle has the sex stuff, but unless you are seeking it out you don't have to think about it - some of the shops are kind of funny from the outside, and I and another lady walked the length of blvd Rochechouarte until it runs out (under another name, I think) in Pigalle, and never had a qualm. That boulevard, by the way, has a garden walkway down the middle which is quite nice if you don't feel like jostling along the sidewalk by the stores, and is well lighted at night.

Also, I've used all the metro stops and found them unintimidating - just keep your purse/wallet close and your eyes open, as you would anywhere. Enjoy!

Thank you, This makes me feel much better about our upcoming apartment stay....

Re: Abbessess metro entrance

Just to add what LowCountryIslander has said, the metro entrance is 1 of 2 remaining originals by Hector Guimard, made over 100 years ago in Art Nouveau style.
http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/f...ew-136810.html

grumlin - You may find my blog on this area helpful as we stayed in the Montmartre area a year ago and loved it!

http://tinyurl.com/5ny79w

If you page back or forward from that page you will find plenty of resto reviews with pictures. It has been said that you can't eat well in the 18th, but don't believe it.

I would venture a guess that you will find less crime in this area than in the more touristy spots of Paris and definitely less than any major US city! Have a ball.

Thanks for the link, I love the fact it is in a more residential area, more of a feeling of what it would be like to live there.

Rue des Abbesses is one of the most charming streets in the entire city.

We rented Amelie this weekend and loved the scenes in Montmarte, has anyone been to the restaurant featured in the filmThanks for all the posts.

The "Amelie" cafe is Tabac 2 Moulins, 15 rue Lepic. You can see a photo at www.pagesjaunes.fr

Grumlin, the café shown in Amélie has been sold and refurbished since the film. I'm afraid I don't think it's anything special, though it's perfectly fine for a cup of coffee I suppose. It's often swarming with tour groups though!

The market street that it's on (rue Lepic) is great though, with various pleasant cafés, bakeries and shops. Very lively on Sunday mornings. And rue des Abbesses is one of my favourite streets in the whole city (my husband used to live there!)

thanks, sorry to hear the Amelie restaurant has changed, but I am so glad to hear about how charming the rue des Abessses street is.

Actually, the biggest change of the Café des Deux Moulin on rue Lepic is that the new owner eliminated the tobacco counter. Most of the other differences are due to movie props added which didn't exist in the café in the first place -- for example the glass partition behind which she watches Nino Quincampoix.

However, the vegetable merchant is still unchanged on rue des Trois Frères.

We loved our stay of one week at the apartment at Rue Des Abbesses, the building had a little elevator and you used a code to get in the building, it felt very safe.
The apartment had windows overlooking the street and small balconies with chairs, you could see the Metro, and the bustling street scene and small shops and restaurants. The kitchen had a fabulous view of the eiffel tower which was all in blue lights and then lit up on the hour in the evening, very enjoyable show with a glass of wine! The Moulin Rouge area was several blocks away so did not impact this area at all...

Do take a "Paris Walks" tour of this area. They have a website and meet I think 2 weekly right at the Abesses Metro stop. They have great tours throughout the city. I'm sure I sound like I have business interest in them! I just think it is the greatest value going in Paris. An informative 2 hour historical tour for only 10 or 12 Euros.