"I think most women do not have a problem at all but straight men do"

Well I think it is not "all" men but those who are not secure in their own sexuality who have a problem...hmmm

I am so glad I am not the only one who thinks the OP was some sort of a joke. Every tour book written in the last 30 years labels the Marais a gay district. So, is the OP lazy or is she merely using the post to express her homophobia? Either way, why are good, sensible fodor-folk taking this seriously and endorsing this bigotry?

I think I'm starting to get it now. On another thread Buzzy started she asked about the Via in Publicolis in Rome (the Jewish Quarter). She asked if it was safe to stay there. Now, she asks about the Marais -- the Jewish Quarter in Paris. Why is she attracted to yet repelled by Jewish districts in European cities?

That might be a stretch, but let's see if she asks about Antwerp.

Hey, OP referred to herself and her husband as "two middle aged old farts", so I won't cast stones. I think the median response is: it's not likely to be a problem, but there's no reason you must stay there, with so many other options."

Better to make this first trip in many years and check it out. There are worse things than discovering one was concerned for no reason. It's all part of the discovery - but everyone is entitled (for whatever reason) to decide, "I think I'll like it over there better."

My wife and I stayed at an apartment in the Marais for two weeks and I didn't notice any gays, but I really wasn't looking. How can you recognize one just by looking? And what harm would come to you if you actually met one?

Ask James Dobson. Apparently a lot of harm.

I have read the reference to bacteria alley, and it applied to the Greek restaurants around rue de la Huchette in the Latin Quarter. The idea was that these restaurants have displays of uncooked meat and seafood "ripening" in the windows.

This is not the same area as the Marais; it's on the other side of the Seine but also near Notre Dame.

You're right!! I looked it up. Here's a link to just one of the references:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...de_France.html

Maybe Buffy is right after all.

no, there's none of that in the Marais, displays of uncooked meat or seafood.

Sorry, in the Latin Quarter.

Hey, I keep trying to suggest other neighborhoods here. Mostly because I don't want Buzzy bothering all the nice gay men in the Marais.
:-)

It's a nice thought, Suze, but I think we need to let the nice gay men have a shot at her husband.

What IS the French translation for "Oh, Daddy"?

ok- now that just cracked me up, GaryCA!

<a lot of "straight" people still feel awkward around multiple displays of affection between gay people at close hand. I'm really relating to my husband here.>

Has the husband really ever been to a gay bar? Has the wife? I kind of doubt it! What the heck do they think gay people do in restaurants for gods sake?

Flanner, yes, helicopters with search lights come around frequently in different parts of DC, and they are looking for criminals. They also do the same thing in other major cities, not just in this country either. What of it?

As for the Marais, I think it's the most interesting place to stay in Paris- period.

You know, many of you posters here have been to Europe many times and are familiar with all the parts of the major cities. But there really are people that hear a comments that make them question their choices..

I have a good friend.He is retired from a fine career ,is well read,extremely intelligent,traveled a lot but never been to Paris .When I asked him why ,he said the they wouldn't enjoy a place where the people are so rude...I loL

Just to correct a few points made by earlier posters. This is a genuine post. I don't have the lifestyle and time where I would be bothered to come on here and generate questions for no reason.

So some of you know that the Marais is a gay quarter of Paris and think that I may be lazy because I do not. I think that there many be many parts of the world that you know little about but are you lazy because you don't or is it that you may have been to other places and been busy doing other things? I am just exploring Paris now so am learning about it. This is part of my learning curve. I was in Paris for about 2 hours one afternoon 4 years ago and walked around the area near Notre Damme.

Regarding my other post on the Jewish Ghetto in Rome. I refer to it purely in the way that it is referred to in most guide books and travel sites.If you look at that particular posting you will find that it contains no reference to safety in the Jewish quarter. In fact I am staying there next week.

Another post I created asks questions about safety in Rome generally and was related to comments I have read on sites like Trip Advisor about people being robbed. That post was about general safety and not anything to do with the Jewish quarter.

As another poster suggested I did read the Trip advisor report about a couple of streets being called Bacteria Alley due to people falling ill after eating in the restaurants there. These were the restsaurants that attracted me to the area when I first walked through it. I remember huge fish displays in the windows and the proprieters calling at passers by enticing them to come in. It was all very sumptuous and colourful. This was where I was aiming to go when we went there and partulary bearing in mind the dangers of eating badly prepared or cooked seafood I asked for other people's views and wanted to hear if they had heard of these restarants being labelled as "Bacteria Alley." Try putting in Bacteria Alley Paris into Google and you will se what I mean. Also read the Trip Advisor notes. As someone who knows very little about the area I don't want to make the mistake of eating somewhere and ending up with a bout of food poisoning abroad. I'm sure that's something we'd all want to avoid.

Now to the original issue about the gay quarter. Those that have looked at my other posts will see that we are visiting Rome next week. The main reason bing that my husband as a practising Catholic has wanted to go to the Vatican for most of his life. While he is not anti gay in an agressive way and believes that we should extend Gods love to all he is not going to be comfortable if he is stitting in a bar or restarant with men who are arm in arm etc. I can already feel the wrath of people who want to force the issue and say he is wrong but if a Muslim for instance would not feel comfortable in an envirmonment where women were shoeing cleavage etc then why should it be any different for my husband?

I was merely trying to find out if the area is sedately and respectully gay or ostentatiously so. If it's the latter then as much as I love the environment it would not be fair to my husband if he was feelign uncomfortable and as if her was compromising his deeply held religious views.

Please excuse my spelling above. I posted before I had spell checked.

Buzzy, I live in Paris, and the only time I've ever heard/seen the Marais referred to as the "gay quarter" is in guidebooks or on travel forums. It is one of the most charming, diverse parts of Paris.

As for Bacteria Alley (or anywhere else), I would avoid, no matter how sumptuous the displays, any restaurant in Paris where the owner or waiter is standing outside, trying to lure customers in. The good places just don't have to.