hollyfromtheUK

Hi
I have seen an apartment i really like in Paris on Rue St Sauveur. I know it joins Rue St Denis and that this is a red light district road. I am not that bothered really except I am booking the accommodation for my mum too and i wouldn't want to pick the wrong area for our trip.

Is Rue Saint Saveur ok? I know it is right near Rue Montorgueil which has lots of nice food places and a market which is what we want but am worried that if the apartment is at the other end of rue st sauvuer where it joins rue saint denis we are going to feel like we are in a run down or dodgy area.

Please advise.

Many tHANKS
Holly.

Cholmondley_Warner

The prostitution in Rue St Denis is very in-your face and there are a LOT of women.

Ther are also many sex shops and bongo-flick cinemas on the street.

It's also a 24 hour operation.

So not for the easily offended I'd say.

PegS

True what Cholmondley says. However, it's also a rather hip street where young people hang out. There are sandwich shops and restaurants everywhere, and it's rather bustling at night. When I was there with my DH all the people meant we never felt unsafe walking down the street.

Cholmondley_Warner

The Chatelet end is as described - and that's why I go there (honest! there's a frog and rosbif pub there where I can watch the footy or cricket.)

A few hundred yards up it suddenly changes and that's where the bright neon signs of the sex shops and the like begin. There are women everywhere - even down the small side streets and alleys.

There is no mistaking what they're offering - expect to see a lot of flesh. If yu do go, whatever yopu do please don't try to take photos. The women hate it and get very bolshie about it - and do you really want a fist fight with a streetwalker?

Also the window displays of the sex shops can be very explicit with sex toys and things like whips and gimp masks on open display (and if your mum can read french then the signs and adverts are also very explicit).

This area sort of peters out as you get towards the Gare du Nord and it becomes a street of ethnic groceries.

I don't mind it but then I'm A) male; B) not easily offended c) a bit handy; d) have seen it all before.

I wouldn't take my mum there.

Christina

I don't know, I've been on rue St Denis in the daytime and did not see tons of prostitutes. Sure, I saw some sex places, those are regular small shops, but I didn't see a lot of prostitutes right on the street at all. I've always lived in big cities, and worked in areas near such things, so it means nothing much to me (not that I'd want to hang out in such areas at night), but I really think I would have remembered if there were women everywhere in the daytime (I was on the entire length, but definitely in the north).

I would not stay right near there with my mother, either, she would be uncomfortable and embarassed, and there is no reason to. It would not be a nice thing to do to her on her vacation, at least not if it meant walking on that street. I would feel the same way about any street with sex shops, etc., in any city. However, I don't think it's that bad down near the bottom end, and that's not far from a passage and Tiquetonne. I am not crazy about that area in general, but it's not too bad, I don't think.

shellio

The portion of rue St-Denis that abuts rue St-Sauveur is not the prostitute-infested area Cholmondeley describes, IMO. That area is farther north and I would avoid it.

If the apartment is at the rue St-Denis end of the street you can avoid it entirely by turning the other direction and taking rue Dussoubs without going more than half a block out of your way. The area is certainly not dangerous, and only the one street is even slightly "offensive" in that it has sex shops and adult film rooms. If you avoid it you would never know it's there by the rest of the neighborhood, which has become quite gentrified and has lots of little bistros, boutiques and cafés.
.
I stay very close to rue St-Sauveur and walk regularly from the Réaumur-Sebastopol métro station to rue Montorgueil, past rue St-Denis, and have never felt it to be a problem.

AnselmAdorne

Holly, I think you should ask the apartment owner for the street number on rue Saint-Sauveur and then plot it on ViaMichelin or one of the other online mapping sites. If the flat is near rue Montorgueil, you will be very happy in that neighbourhood.

Anselm

Suzanne2

Holly, 3 years ago we stayed in the Vacationinparis.com apartment called Louvre Loft. We really enjoyed Rue Montorguiel. We loved the central location for easy access to the things we wanted to see. I was aware of Rue st. Denis and so we simply avoided it as much as we could. We did not stroll there. We did cross Rue St. Denis almost every day. From what I saw it is a seedy looking area with porn shops, clubs etc. During the day there were a lot of young guys on skate boards with boom boxes. the same is true of the area around Les Halles. During the day anyway, I did not see any ladies. My only complaint of the area is that the streets were paved with tile and there is alot of foot traffic at night. I sleep with the window open. I was awakened quite alot by the heels of the gals walking by late at night. I have no idea if the gals walking by late at night were prostitutes. I thought the area was interesting and we never felt it was unsafe. It is not touistry. I'd have to say it is more working class Paris. So if you are not planning to be out walking on Rue St. Denis at night you can feel comfortable staying there.

hollyfromtheUK

hello everyone that sent me a message
Thanks for your advice. We are looking at places in the Marais too and will contact the owner anyway to find out what end of the street it is on. I am still undecided but think we might still go for it if it is available.

If anyone can recommend a Marais apartment for 3 then much appreciated.

Cheers!
Holly.