Re: 1st district in Paris
 

Is there anybody who prefers this location over Le Marais and St Germain?
Yes, I have read multiple descriptions in travel guides. YET, from this forum, I seem to get a feeling that
1)businesses and expensive shops prevail in the 1st district (apart from it being a home for the Louvre)
2)it does not have the atmosphere of the 6th or 4th district
3)it lacks a plethora of restaurants/cafes

Am I missing something? Is there anybody that prefers the 1st district?
Thank you.
AA

Love it, walking distance to anywhere, lots of metro stops and full of life. We stayed in the Palais Royal across the street from the Louvre. There are lots of restaurants around (more closed on Sunday), but with the metro you can go anywhere.

Hi Agnes,

Do you have a particular hotel in mind?

((I))

Hi Agnes,
The 1st is definitely more business - and tourist - oriented. But it has its benefits: for the most part it's quieter at night than St. Germain and the Marais, and it's location is (of course) the most central in Paris. If you plan to do a lot of walking to sights, and if you like to have a convenient location to return to midday amongst your siteseeing, then the 1st can be very beneficial. The 6th is also good for this reason, being the mirror of the 1st on the left bank.

Note that you will be able to find a cafe just about anywhere in Paris, so though you will probably travel for your nicer meals, a good cafe creme and a sidewalk table are available everywhere.

If you're looking for your hotel to be in a neighborhood where you can hang out with locals and be a short distance from cosy bars and good restaurants, the 1st lacks those charms. If you want a quieter district and a central location, try the 1st.

I hope this helps!

Dear Ira,
I was trying to decide between Hotel Des Tuileries by the Louvre on Rue St Hyacinthe, and Le Clement (St Germain)north of St Sulpice and south of Blvd St Germain. Since I could not make a decision due to the lack of recent hotel reviews, I decided to base my decision on neighborhoods. I think I am leaning towards St Germain.
Thus, Le Clement.
Thank you.

GGreen,
It does help. Though we do not speak French, we would not mind being with the locals:)
We do mostly sightseeing, but we enjoy a good meal as well:)
Thank you for your time!

Agnes, I can't comment on your hotel in the 1er arrondissement, but we have stayed Hotel Le Clément in the 6è.

Have nothing bad to say about it. Neutral comments: that the reception is typically French (reserved but professional) and the rooms can be typically smaller than American hotels. Positives: It's a great location with a metro stop and taxi stand literally around the corner, not particularly noisy side street, great view (front rooms) of St. Sulpice, honest value for the money, pleasant foyer/reading area and there are restaurants galore in the area. You can walk across the street to the Marché St. Germain and have breakfast at La Brioche Dorée or walk a couple of streets over to Paul's (husband's favorite) and it will be less than the hotel breakfast. I'll also admit to liking "le dynanisme" of the St. Germain area; the 1er is just a little too "staid" for what I personally am looking for when in Paris. I'm sure you'll find others who prefer the 1st, though.

klondike, thank you.
aa

So glad I could help!

BTW, I have a French friend named Agnes - I love the way the name is pronounced in French. The "g" is softer, in the back of the throat, so that it's almost more of a "y", and the "e" with accent grave is more open. Very pretty! :)

Sounds better than Agnes!
Actually, my original name is Agnieszka, and Agnes is just the English version of my Polish name [nobody in US would be able to pronounce it;)]
A

You're right, that's a mouthful to me! I'll have to ask my upstairs neighbors to say your name for me - they are Polish and it's still their primary language after almost 30 years here.

In the US, we pronounce Agnes with all hard, heavy consonants - it's so leaden. I've thought of another way to try and spell the French pronunciation. It's like "Anne-yes" (with a bit of a back-of-the-throat "g" between the two parts...). :D

Ggreen,
When I was in Italy, they also pronounced my name in a nice way (not as nice as in French, but still...)
A
Thanks again!