jcamargo

Kerouac, somebody in another forum mentioned you posted some walks in Paris, can you tell where I can find them

Thanks

kerouac

And somebody else posted that 'this guy takes photos out of his window' and it made me sound like a total perv.

Let me see what I can dig up...

Errr... Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement:
http://tinyurl.com/od8xtm

Ethnic Indian/African/Muslim Paris:
http://tinyurl.com/mgbf6j

Photos of Indian Paris by night:
http://tinyurl.com/mk8xta
(but I will be doing a new in depth daytime tour soon and will post it here)
Oh, but I forgot about this one:
http://tinyurl.com/ndd9jc

And of course the inevitable Canal Saint Martin:
http://tinyurl.com/cnxl5z

If anybody is interested, I will continue to link things here and there as best I can. It's a shame that the Fodor's site isn't equipped for direct photo posts, but I am grateful that they don't mind linking to other places. We are all the same group of travellers, more or less.

The Canal Saint Martin:

christy1

Funny the differences in neighborhoods. We go to Paris most years, and I don't see anyone dressed like the people in those pictures. Even the moms picking up their kids from school are dressed so beautifully, and the businessmen are eating their lunches in great suits. Especially at restaurants, people always make the effort. It's one of the lovely things about Paris and I hate to see the slobby American look take over clothes like we've taken over food and culture. But I guess it's probably like walking around Jackson Heights vs. the Upper East Side vs. the Lower East Side--people dress much differently depending on where you are.

kerouac

Well, for one thing there are practically no businessmen in suits in my neighborhood. I don't even think that the local bank employees wear suits.

NorCalif

Christy - I've been to Paris at least once a month every month this year and, forgive me, I have to assume you are, um, painting with a rather broad brush, when you say "I don't see anyone dressed like the people in those pictures". How could you NOT see people dressed like those in the pictures? They may not represent the people in some restaurants or other venues you attend, but if you go to any airport/train/metro station, go to any museum or other public site, go to any park, walk down most streets, etc., in my experience, you will see a great mix of people, including people who dress like those in the pictures. Do you just leave your hotel and keep you eyes closed until you get to a given restaurant? ;-> Just kidding of course ...

And yes, of course Paris is like most other major cities in the world - there are cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic differences among its residents and visitors, which are reflected in their choice of clothing. And I think to ascribe it all to "the slobby American look" is hardly accurate.

Danielcjr

I really enjoyed the pics Kerouac, and agree with NorCalif that it's unfair to paint the French as unquestionably sophisticated and Americans as slobs. Most of those people in the pictures could have been plucked from the streets of Manhattan.

christy1

Nowhere did I say that the pictures represent something that doesn't exist (also nowhere did I say all Americans are slobby--geez, guys!)--what they don't represent is the norm for my trips. Given people's responses here--hey, they dress just like us! I can wear my flip flops everywhere in Paris! We can stop worrying about what to wear!--many people in this thread are assuming that those pictures ARE the norm for everywhere in Paris, rather than a snapshot of the 18th. Given how many times I've heard Americans complain about how badly they were treated at stores and restaurants in Paris, which I'm convinced in many cases was due to their slobby appearance, I think it's a mistake to assume that dress does not matter.

kerouac

They must not have been going to the correct stores and restaurants. When the personnel are properly trained, they treat everyone very well, as the money being spent always looks lovely, and it is almost never the best dressed people who are spending the largest amount.

I work directly across from the Hôtel George V, considered by some to be the finest hotel in the world, and I can affirm without hesitation that people do not dress up to stay there, but I'm sure that they are treated just fine. When Brazilian and Russian millionaires want to wear flip flops, everybody thinks it is just fine.

tod

kerouac, I agree with you about correctly trained personel - a buck is a buck is a euro! However, I have found that when walking into a strange or first time restaurant or boutique, if you are 'dressed to kill' the staff seem to treat you with more enthusiasm and politeness. I wouldn't go as far as calling it 'bowing and scraping' but just about.
'Dressing down' is definitely embraced by many multi-millionaires. I am sure they just love it when someone treats them with a slight bit of disinterest and they in turn vertually buy up the whole place! Ooh, that must be so nice!

flsd

I'm sure there's a reason we've been intimidated by the Parisians' superior fashion sense, but it's escaped me.

Cries_Van_Notebook

Christy is right, just like NYC or Philly the people of Paris dress according to the neighbourhood they are in.

People also dress according to their social/economic class. A multi-millionaire may dress down, but she isn't going to be wearing something ratty from a cheap chain store. A pair of Capris, yes, but they will be Dries Van Noten.

There is a world of difference between slides from Tati and a pair of sandals from Ferragamo.

Thin

kerouac

Did you know that Catherine Deneuve buys her pantyhose at Tati?

I guess she is trailer trash.

travelgourmet

I stand by the belief that it is attitude that matters, not dress. Act like you've been there before and everything falls into place. This isn't to say that you need act like an arrogant jerk, but just know that you belong. If you walk in like a doe-eyed teenager then you will sometimes be treated as one, at least by that repellent breed of waiter and store staff that think working at a good restaurant or nice store excuses rudeness.

And, if you do run into such people, then move on. Acting like you belong cuts both ways. Restaurants, boutiques, or hotels that tolerate anything less than hospitality for every guest are often not worth the time or money.

Alternatively, if you are really feeling too lazy to even act like you belong, just do what I do and wear your credit card in a name tag holder on your shirt. Works wonders!

cigalechanta

She also buys some from Chanel.

kerouac

I'm sure that Chanel gives them to her free of charge.

Cries_Van_Notebook

K, but that is pantyhose. I am sure La Deneuve doesn't buy her lingerie or shoes at Tati.

I buy flip-flops for the swimming pool at Target, but I wouldn't buy a suit there.

My old friend, the Countess de Billy, buys her tennis socks at Tati because she gets a pack of 10 for a few euro.

Thin, a fan of La Deneuve

tod

Tati is definitely on my list of places to visit next Paris trip - I have been past it dozens of times but always en-route to somewhere else. Kerouac, is it as mad inside as out on the sidewalk? I'm presuming you have been there at least once in all the years in Paris!

kerouac

Yes, it is a madhouse inside as well, and trying to make your way to the cash register to pay for something requires a certain amount of kicking, biting and scratching.

I go there about once every six months. The other Tati stores, just as the one at République, are more civilized, however. Deneuve's favorite was on rue de Rennes near her apartment, but I don't know where she goes now.

Did you know that Tati had opened a store in South Africa at one time, tod? (Also Dakar, Jerusalem and NYC among other places -- but they went too far and went bankrupt. Now Tati is owned by the Fabio Lucci chain.)

kerouac

just = such

decee

What is Tati?