Just returned from a week in Paris followed by a week in Germany. We stayed in the 15th ae - not the most scenic but really gave you a feel for the "real" Paris. Here were our impressions that sometimes contradicted what I'd read here and heard elsewhere:
1. We didn't see anyone urinating publicly in Paris - maybe this was due to it being winter!
2. The streets were very clean and little dog poopwas evident. I was impressed by the agressive cleaning practices like washing streets and sidewalks down each a.m and the efficient trash collection and presence of lots of trash receptacles.
3. People were nice to us and tried to speak English when our limited French failed us.
4. Food was reasonably priced - especially if you opted for the fixed menu of which we had excellent meals ranging in price from 15-30 eu for entree/plat/dessert or wine. You could also cheapily get snacks or light meals and the crepe stands and the doner Kebab stands.
I also loved seeing all the flower stalls and smelling all the food like rotisserie chicken stalls in the streets, crepe stands, fresh baked breads, hand painted chocolates, cheeses....- we miss that in most of the U.S in favor of our obsession with packaging and sanitation.
As far as must-see sights...
I would opt for the Musee d'Orsay over the Louvre - smaller, and beautiful surroundings - I know I will be crucified for this but the Louvre is like the Walmart of museums - just too much...people, paintings....
Also really enjoyed walking about the Latin Quarter once we got away from the Seine.

Glad you had a good trip. Any particular restaurants you would
recommend?

Hi leah,

>We stayed in the 15th ae - not the most scenic but really gave you a feel for the "real" Paris.<

So, tell us about it.

Where did you stay, what was the neighborhood like, transportation options......?

Glad you enjoyed your visit.

Everyone has his/her favorite museums, and the Louvre is not my favorite, but its collection doesn't overlap with that of the Orsay, so I can't see recommending skipping the Louvre unless you only have time for one large museum. You lose me on the Walmart analogy.
I think the Louvre, too, has beautiful surroundings.

I agree about everyone's favorite museums. Personally, I love the works in the d'Orsay but I also think from a display point of view some of the works are not nearly as well lighted as those in the Louvre.

Perhaps you would feel differently about the Louvre depending upon the time (of day) you visited. It is difficult to deal with and considering it is the largest palace in Europe your feelings about the numbers aren't surprising.

Glad you had a good trip and thanks for the report.

I think leah's saying that the Louvre is the 'super-museum' of Paris like Walmart is the local 'super-store' - vast hall, lots of people!

The trick to the Louvre is to break it down in some way that appeals to you, by collections, or wings, or the 'top 10' or whatever...

Leah, thanks for posting your report. What was your weather like? I have found that following the on-line weather sites are sometime inaccurate (for instance my sister "watched" our Paris weather a few years ago and thought we had spent 2 weeks in the rain - not true) I was pleasantly surprised that you commented on seeing the flower stalls - for some reason I thought it was too cold and that the flowers weren't out in front of the shops etc. Could you tell us about your accommodations in the 15th? It's nice to hear about a different area/hotel as the "usual suspects" are beaten to death here!

Sounds like you went to the type of eateries that my family and I enjoy - just good food at a reasonable price with out a lot of "hoopla". Could you tell us a few of the places that you ate?

You are so right - the fresh food, artisan breads and the hand made pastry/candy creations there are beautiful. In my opinion, America is so obsessed with pre-packaged junk that you can microwave that we really miss out on so much!

Looking forward to hearing more!

I probably should qualify my Louvre remark a bit more by saying we went on a first Sunday (free) so it was fairly crowded. I also think the Louvre needs more than a day to fully appreciate...I wouldn't skip it though so I probably shouldn't have said "opt" but just that I preferred the Orsay.

Agree that the lighting--especially in some of the upper galleries--at the d'Orsay can be maddening. But the problem does seem to be confined to the galleries displaying works on paper (Toulouse-Latrec posters and the like), so I suppose it's a conservation issue.

I think that visiting the Louvre for the first time is a bit overwhelming. You really do have to have a plan and chop it up into which collections and periods you want to see on any given trip. If you think of it as three or more smaller museums, it's much more manageable.

Would love to hear more about your stay in the 15eme.

Yes, the Louvre can be overwhelming. It seems that nothing prepares you for the actual size and scope of the place!
I dream of having months to be able to go every day and just spend all the time I want
Yes, please, tell how the weather was? We are going soon, I hear it has been quite cold.
Oh, and I am so glad that you were not subjected to the sight of anyone peeing in the street I haven't seen that either.

Scarlett, we were fortunate and had good weather - no snow or rain - but it was chilly. The lowest was in the 40's but a few days were in the 50's. The key of course is layering, hats, scarves, and gloves and comfortable walking shoes. My husband and I both swear by our ECCO's and wearing 2 pairs of socks - thin under wool to enable us to walk 4-5 miles every day. Just be sure and "fortify" yourself with stops for cafe, wine, beer, crepes, and croissants!

Leah, Beyond the fact that people are not urinating, dog poop is being cleaned and the French were pleasant to deal with, can you tell us about the hotel and restaurants you frequented during your trip?

Yes, I would also like to hear about where you ate and where you stayed!

Glad you enjoyed your trip leahinsc. Not being very familiar with the 15th would also be interested in your comments on the area, restos, travel times,etc..

Sorry all...I need to dig through all my receipts, match books, cards etc so I can be sure and give you the right info. so stay tuned. As far as hotel - I wrote earlier that we stayed at a timeshare - Pierre et Vacances - but I wouldn't recommend. I will stick to giving you names of a couple of the restaurants we particularly liked. All in all though you really can't go wrong in Paris. As all restaurants must by law have their menus posted outside it was easy to make decisions about where to eat. We made a point of generally avoiding those with blantant English/American menu translations as we felt we might not get the best deal food or money wise. Also important to remember that restaurants don't open for dinner until 8pm and they will stare at you if you walk in any earlier than 8:30pm! You can however get meals earlier at bistros and bars and of course the crepe and other streetside stalls.

Interested in also knowing what your "wow" moments or sights were...and any places you might have been to that may not have been on the "normal" tourist path (thus the question about the 15th!)

Many restaurants open at 7:30 for dinner,though they don't usually get busy until 8 or 8:30.

...or later

Michael - here were our "wow" moments in no particular order (pls excuse French mispellings)
1. Walking across the Seine on the Pont du Neuf bridge at night with the lights glimmering on the river and seeing the Eiffel tower lit up in the distance. Ahhh this is why it is so romantic!
2. Walking down the narrow Rue Mouffetard, our mouths watering at the sight of rotisserie chickens and new potatoes baking.
3. People watching everywhere
4. Wandering around the Orsay and stopping for a very good lunch in their cafe.
5. Outdoor food markets - anywhere - Fodors has a listing.
6. Seeing REM at the Bercy stadium along with thousands of French (and Americans!)
7. Sitting on a bench in front of Sacre Couer on a sunny day eating a baguette and cheese.

Welcome bacl Lea, I agree the 15th has few tourist attractions BUT you see how the average Parisian lives.