'at the foot of the Tour St Jacques '

Patrick this is 35 meters from my favourite bar - next time tell me when you're there, my treat.

Bookmarking

I see that certain people attach some importance to sitting somewhere near a monument or famous site. It's funny because that attracts me the least, and not just for Paris but for any other big city.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but if I am going to sit somewhere for awhile, I prefer not to do it where I will see the highest concentration of tourists. This goes for Rome, Berlin, London or NYC as well.

Along the Bassin de l'Arsenal on a nice day when the office workers come out and eat lunch on the grass by the marina.

The Square des Batignolles.

On every one of our 5 trips to Paris, we have made it a point to have a picnic lunch in Place des Vosges.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but if I am going to sit somewhere for awhile, I prefer not to do it where I will see the highest concentration of tourists.>

I like both -one reason I also loved sitting by the lake in Buttes Chaumont and watching school kids on lunch break and folks with small tots enjoying this great great park -one of the nicest in Paris IMO.

I don't think it is so much the famous site or monument, as much as the memory attached to it. If you are a tourist then many of your favorite areas will likely be in or around a famous site. I totally get not wanting to hang out in a tourist area of you are a local. I just find that so many of my favorite things about a trip have less to do with the site and more to do with what was happening in the moment. One of my favorite memories outside Paris was sitting outside for 45 minutes with a glass of Cotes du Provence.

I like the little park just off the Grand Palais, by the same architect as the Buttes Chaumont park. It's out of view from the road, a secret garden with sculptures, nice planting and great benches. Once when I sat there reading a Dominican monk wandered in to pray. Afterwards we sat side by side eating our sandwiches. Lovely

<i>Special Settings for Sitting! Paris
Posted by: PalenQ on Sep 29, 16 at 3:40pm
One thing I enjoy much in Europe cities is finding a bench or chair somewhere or any place to sit on and watch the passing show or gaze at broad vistas.</i>

For watching the passing show I like one of the cafes at Carrefour de Buci. For the broad vista I found the view over Paris from St. Cloud quite spectacular.

For the broad vista I found the view over Paris from St. Cloud quite spectacular.>

totally awesome - also a very neat park with some interesting things in it but the views over all of Paris and beyond spread out below like a relief map is yes totally awesome.

If you are going to the suburbs, Mont Valérian is spectacular as well. Keeping in mind that almost nobody in this target group is going to the suburbs if they want to "sit in Paris."

Keeping in mind that almost nobody in this target group is going to the suburbs if they want to "sit in Paris.">

How about sitting over Paris?

Place des Vosges and Luxembourg Gardens for me.