Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Paris Neighborhoods

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Paris Neighborhoods

Paris neighborhoods I am moving to Paris in July and I am wondering about the various neighborhoods in which to rent an apartment. My new company has given me a list of possibilities but I want your opinion. Here are the choices: 15th 16th 18th 3rd & 4th (Marais) 12th 5th & 6th (Latin Quarter) 7th I realize that these arrondisements will only be meaningful for some of you. I am looking for a funky, lively neighborhood with moderate rents. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. marmotte Posted: 12 Feb, 5:38am 1.

Can I have a job in Paris with your company also, you lucky person?

kassisita, you aren't getting much response yet for your question so I'll kick in my inexperienced two-cents worth. I think you'll have a hard time getting lots of solid advice on this question on this forum. The vast majority of us are tourists who show up in Paris for awhile to do tourist things. For example if you look at lodging in Paris almost everyone here recommends the 5th & 6th on the Left Bank. The problem is I think there's a huge difference between vacationing in a city and living in one. I'm not so sure I would want to struggle with hordes of tourists everyday while I had to go to work. On the other hand, maybe you don't speak French and living in a high-traffic tourist area would give you many more opportunities to bump into English speakers. Just having an arrondissement number isn't much help. The arrondissements can cover a large area. For example you could be on the closer side of 15 & 16 and in a touristy area while the outskirts of each are much more residential. If you are able to give exact addresses a few of the people who really know Paris like Christina, EyeSpyEurope & others might be able to help you more. As a general rule, the further out you are the more moderate the price. My personal preference to live in Paris would be the outer edge of the 4th out into the 12th. The 12th has very few tourist attractions and IMHO feels more like a “real” Paris neighborhood. This also puts you on the edge of the Marais or close to it for a funky, lively experience. Personally with a day-in/day-out grind I'd be much happier having a less lively place to stay and seeking lively out when I needed it. It's easy to do with the Paris metro. Another suggestion would be to not lock yourself into a long term lease. Can you rent by month for a while to figure out where you really want to stay? Hope this helps a little and good luck!

indytravel makes some great points and I would second the suggestion to take a hard look at the 12th. It's very connected to the rest of Paris via the Nation Metro/RER station and very much alive without being a real tourist area. Looking at lease costs the last time I was comparing, it seemed to offer very decent value for the quality of the neighborhood. The nearby Marais area would also be an attractive option -- but I'm not speaking as someone who has ever lived day-in, day-out in Paris. Congratulations on snagging such a wonderful opportunity!

I know Paris pretty well and any of those arrondisements could be a fine place to live. My opinion is that, as in any city, it depends exactly WHERE in the arrondisement and what the apartment is like and, most importantly, where you are going to be working. When you are working, commuting time is very important and affects your life every day. Maybe if you explained this a little better it could be helpful, because I don't understand what your company is telling you in terms of options. You said you'd like to know where rents are reasonable, which makes it sound like you are going to have to find an apartment on your own, in which case, why is the company giving you a choice of arrondisements to live in? If they have some type of business apartment availabilities in those areas, aren't they telling you about the apartments and what the rent would be?

(cont) I'm a Left Bank person just because I've spent most time there, so I would gravitate to the 14th-15th myself, probably, if I had to choose a place to live, but it really depends what you can get. Parts of the 15th are a lot more convenient than others in terms of public transportation, also -- the bottom of it is more isolated in that regard. Lots of expat British/Americans seem to be in the 7th, and I know part of that is because of where they may work (such as at UNESCO). I'm afraid I can't really say more specifically without understanding the proposition -- most importantly, where you will work.

(I left this out, Fodors is very limiting today) ... So, I just don't think I could make suggestions without understanding what the issue is. The 6th is a very expensive area to live, as is the 16th and a lot of the 7th (I've seen official prices per square meter of Parisian apts put out by the Parisian assn. of notaires, and I believe the most expensive are the 16th, 7th and 6th). That is for purchase, but would affect rents, certainly. To answer some of your questions, even though I think they are nice residential areas, I would not consider the 15th or 7th to be lively at all. I haven't stayed in the 12th, but have been there, and sure wouldn't call that lively either (depending on what you mean by that). I wouldn't choose it if you really have the other choices. The 18th is fine in certain areas (around Lamarck metro/rue Lepic), but I wouldn't want to live in others.

Topping again, if only to add this charming little bit, from nytimes.com today - - likely worthwhile reading for anyone attracted to this thread: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/16/travel/16build.html Here's the opening: "Paris, Always New" By R. W. APPLE Jr. I once spent almost a month exploring a single neighborhood in Paris, the Sixth Arrondissement. I can imagine visits to Napoleon's Paris or medieval Paris or Hemingway's Paris, and visits concentrating on cafes or flea markets. Gastronomic blowouts, too, of course, and couture shopping sprees, and museum marathons. Last fall, my wife, Betsey, and I devoted the better part of a week to the city's architecture - not the kind of grand (sometimes grandiose) architecture that typifies the city, like Notre-Dame and the Arc de Triomphe, but modern architecture, the architecture of the last century or so. Best wishes, Rex [email protected]