You're staying not far from me. I'm just off rue St. Maur, on Square Gardette. There are so many restaurants in the area, I cannot imagine any need to cross the river just to eat. In fact, I find that I rarely cross the river.

Worth visiting is the little pastry shop on Passage Rochebrune called Broken Biscuits. These are not the typical French pastries - but are very, very good pastries. Both the street and the shop were mentioned in this recent article: http://www.thelocal.fr/20160129/the-...reets-in-paris

Also nearby is the well-reviewed Salt: http://www.salt-restaurant.com/

Heading towards Republique is Borgo - a cute shop with a good restaurant: http://www.borgodelletovaglie.com/show/restaurant.php

I like the veggie burgers at Eastside burger. And have spent a fair amount of time on the terrace at Le Plein Soleil on the corner of Ave. Parmentier and Repubilque. The service is pretty bad, but the people watching is good.

These are only a few of your numerous options in the neighborhood.

We really liked the little crêperie West Country Girl in the Passage St. Ambroise when we spent a week on rue Lacharrière across from Square Gardette a few years ago. The salted caramel crêpe was memorable.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/12/west-country-girl/

http://www.westcountrygirl.com/

Ascend the tethered balloon in Park Citroen.

Descend into the Holocaust Memorial.

Find a book showing 100 year old photos of Paris, find the view points, and compare the modern views.

Walk the Promenade Plantee elevated park. Walk back on ground level and check out the shops beneath it.

Check out the African masks in the Anthropological Museum (Quai Branly).

Lots of great ideas from some of the posters above, we also enjoyed the Promanade des Plantees , Ménilmontant and Belville and the Quai Branly. Here are some ideas from my blog, don't worry it's completely non commercial and based on spending a few months in Paris a couple of years ago.

What about some of the smaller art museums? There are lots of them but I like the Jaquemart Andre or the Gustav Moureau
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...dre-paris.html
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...e-moureau.html

A walk in the Albert Kahn Gardens
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...ens-paris.html

On my last trip I really enjoyed the Musee des Arts Forains, a wonderful collection of carnival attractions housed in the old wine warehouses at Bercy. You have to visit on a scheduled tour in French, but there is an English handout that explains things. You get to play some of the games and ride the carousels too.

http://www.arts-forains.com/index_anglais.php

I'm celebrating a milestone b'day in Paris too, but in October. Would you recommend the Promenade Plantee that time of year?

ssander and others, do you know there's a mini Buttes Chaumont just off Grand Palais? It's called the Jardin de la Nouvelle France and it's wonderful.

One other overlooked museum is the Musée de la Vie Romantique, which is in the studio once used by Ary Scheffer (Hotel Scheffer Renan) in Montmartre. Its tea garden is just the thing in summer

http://www.cafe-vie-romantique.com/

Rue Chaptal, just south of Pigalle.


IMA is always on my list for a stop and so is the salon de thé of Paris's Great Mosque (also a beautiful building with a magnificent prayer hall, there are daily tours)

kwren - nobody really knows what the weather will be like in October. You can Google images of the Promenade Plantee to see if you think it's something you'd enjoy if there aren't many flowers blooming or if it's raining.

Instead, I'd suggest the Jardin du Luxembourg, where the trees will be turning colors and you can see the apples and pears on the trees in the back garden.

We enjoyed the Promenade Plantee a few years back over Thanksgiving week in November. It wasn't completely dead and a few roses were still blooming then...I am sure it is more beautiful earlier in the year but we enjoyed the walk anyway.

Fondation Cartier always has interesting things going on.

Wow - these are just wonderful suggestions! We are so appreciative as I am others are who are reading through these. Many, many thanks!

I agree the La Grande Mosquée de Paris is interesting to visit. There's plenty more to see in that area too...
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...ugh-fifth.html

You say mid-May to mid-June. The annual Belleville Open Doors (Les Portes Ouvertes) is May 13-16 this year, during which over 100 artists in the neighborhood open their studios to the public. This is only a few blocks from where you are staying.

We've done it three times, and it's always a great way to spend the day, wandering the Belleville area and checking out the great variety of art.

http://ateliers-artistes-belleville.fr/en/

Neither the artists list or map is available yet...usually come out in late March. (The dates are only posted on the French site, and it still shows the 2015 map, but you can contact them with questions.)

Eventually they will post a downloadable PDF map showing all the open studios.

If you arrive in Pris in time, I highly recommend it -- provided you like all kinds of artworks.

ssander

Bookmarking

Great replies! I'll be staying on the edge of the 11th next month and appreciate all the suggestions here.

So many great ideas - will add a couple of my own

Love Paris walks. Special occasion restaurant. We had a 7 course tasting menu that was unbelievable.

http://restaurant-itineraires.com/

Try the sea-salt caramel macaroons from Laudree!

Enjoy!