My husband and I are making a firt time trip to Paris in May. I am currently researchig Paris neighborhoods for hotels. Having lived in the west village in NYC for several years we enjoy the city life, but do not want a neighborhood that is too "times square". We prefer more laid back, less traveled by tourists /artsy areas. We are both in our early 30s, would rather to go to a wine bar over a club and enjoy unique boutiques that you can only find in Paris over the high-end shopping of Chanel and Dior (not that this is in our budget- ha). I would appreciate any recommendations on neighborhoods that might fit this criteria and where we could find a hotel for about $150 - $200/night. Looking forward to any advice. Thank you in advance for your time.

Hi B,

I think that if you put all of your questions into one thread (1st visit to Paris - ?) it will be easier to help you.

The 4,5,6 and 14th are popular areas for first-timers.

We always stay at the Hotel Bonaparte, 61 Rue Bonaparte in the 6th. From 124E dbl w/bkfst. It is located near 3 metro stops. Has AC and an elevator.

Tel 33 1 43 26 97 37
FAX 33 1 46 33 57 67
www.hotelbonaparte.fr

For more info, enter "Hotel Bonaparte" in the "search this forum" box.

Photos are at http://tinyurl.com/ludgd

My husband and I stayed in the Hotel St. Germain on rue de bac in the 6th and really loved the hotel and the street. There's a cafe, wine shop, green grocer, florist etc all across the street from the hotel. Although the 6th is trendy and can be very high-end, we found this particular street to be alive with daily life and not just tourists.

http://www.paris-hotel-st-germain.com/

I stayed in the 14th on Rue Raspail in November last year. I was in the either 8th or 9th last trip on Blvd. Haussmann. I liked Blvd. Haussmann for it's proximity to the Madeleine (sp) and the grand magazines...I love to shop..but I have to say, I just loved the 14th. It has a real neighborhood feel to it. There were patisseries, boucheries, deli's, a Franprix a Monoprix, lots of restaurants, cafes etc. and an art market on Edgar Quinet every Sunday, four metro stops conveniently located plus the Montparnasse station. I of course can't speak to staying in the 5th, 6th, 7th etc. that are areas that others love to be in. There was also a market that we ran into on Blvd. Raspail. Meat, cheese, scarves etc. I can't remember the day for sure, but something is telling me it was on Thursday. I really liked that neighborhood.

The single-digit arrondissements tend towards the "ParisLand" ambiance. They're aggresively touristy, and the prices reflect it.

I prefer the Montparnasse area, either the XIV or XV. It has a 'village' feel to it, as opposed to being part of a big city. There are neighborhood stores of every description where the locals shop, not the high-end stores of the Right Bank that are so famous for their unapologetically fabulous prices.

Thank you all for your responses and recommedations. This will be very helpful during our planning.

Look into the area around Canal St Martin, and Republique (10th and 11th arr.). It's artsy, hip, not touristy, populated by people your age, with plenty of wine bars, eccentric boutiques. I'd say the 6th is the exact opposite of all this. The 13th and 14th are family oriented, and boring for my taste.

Eric_S - thank you for your post. I have not been considering these areas and will look into them.

4th, Marais or 7th, near Eiffle Tower might be what you want. Central but a little less crowded than say 5th, Latin Quarter.

Another vote for where the Marais shades into Bastille and/or République / Canal St Martin. The heart of the Marais and further into the centre is bit noisier/touristy.

Bonjour, B
As for laid back and unique this one is hard to beat: http://www.quai48parisvacation.com/

I've noticed more owners advertsing their rentals lately...

The Marais in the 3rd sounds like your description -- artsy, small boutiques and shops, 10-15 min walk to Notre Dame and central sights and I frequently walked home from the Louvre. I was the only tourist whenever I walked into the small brasserie that was across the street from my apartment -- an espresso was 1.40 Euro (seems like a local price to me). People were also really nice, despite my being an obvious tourist.

Here's a description of the apt and neighborhood I stayed in, with a few pics.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34916913

I like Eric's suggestion of Canal St Martin/Republique, that would be my first choice. Montparnasse would be good alternative as well, as someone has already suggested.

Also, depending on the length of your stay, you may want to consider an apartment.

http://www.latuilealoup.com/accueil_en.htm

Just thought I would include this link to a small and charming store. I bought something years ago, and can see from the website it is not much changed. It is in the 5th.