missatlanta

My family with two teenage daughters 16 & 19 will be visiting in July. Found two teen nightclubs that say kids 14+ go on Saturday nights. Want to find out if these are in a safe area and/or what kind of reputation do that have? Neither of my girls drink, but they do love to dance. One is LaLoco (close to Moulin Rouge); the other LeBus (9th arr.). Anyone familiar with these or perhaps another where I will feel o.k. letting them go to?

Intrepid1

Unfortunately, the fact that one of them is "near the Moulin Rouge" is apt to bring on a torrent of "don't do this" responses because of the neighborhood.

cmeyer54

sorry but I'm one of those 'dont do that' people. think Aruba but here your teens probably won't be fluent in the language or maybe they are. In any case, I wouldn't let my kids do that unless I was strategically nearby - not necessarily in the club but close - moulin rouge is not a nice neighborhood. sorry - just my opinion

missatlanta

Thanks for the input. I do not know anything about the Moulin Rouge area; what about the other one in the 9th? What is that around? Oh - they do NOT speak french, but they are very responsible; that being said, I would not let them go if it was a questionable environment. Here in Atlanta, there are some teen clubs in safe neighborhoods on Sunday nights. Nothing to get them in major trouble, mainly just some "dirty dancing" goes on unless you want it to be more (drinking in the parking lot; making out in a dark corner), but that's a choice. I can handle that if that's it b/c they aren't there for that, but not someplace where the chance is greater that they could get raped or worse. Thanks so much.

Christina

I haven't heard of LeBus, but the Locomotive in Montmartre does have a young clientele. There is another one in MOntparnasse (or used to be, L'Enfer, I think). The Locomotive doesn't have any unusally bad reputation that I know of, but I personally wouldn't allow teens (especially 16) to wander around any strange city late at night going to clubs when they don't know the city and don't speak the language. How do you think they are going to get back to your hotel late at night? The L'Enfer did have some problems, as I recall, and there are drugs around the area of the Locomotive, and petty crime. It's an area that isn't pristine.

It could be okay, I'm just conservative about these things, and a lot of teens do a lot of really stupid things because they think they are invincible, and tend to do them more in a foreign city.

I "chaperoned" some 17-year old girls who wanted to go out (we were all students in a summer program at the Sorbonne-they were English and I was about 40 yr old), and we went to Caveau de la Huchette in the Latin Qtr. They had their night out, but I was with them (although not by their side). Even then, they started chatting up some drunken French hooligans and acting up and the guys followed them out on the street. That place was good because all ages could go, and we just sort of separated in the place, but I knew where they were and we went home together, and the guys knew there were a couple adults around. That area was a lot safer than around where the Locomotive is, also.

clairobscur

La Loco is a very well known club. I never went there, since I'm not into clubbing, but I somehow doubt that there would only teens there, that they would not serve alcohol, etc...Except if they have a dance floor specifically designated for this purpose (normally a 14 yo can't enter a club).Unfortunately, I can't check it because for some reason, I can't access their website.

The Moulin Rouge area isn't unsafe in my opinion, but I would bet it's not the kind of neighborhood you would want your daughters to be in at night.


I know nothing about le Bus, but I suspect it could the well-known "Bus Palladium" I know nothing about but which is also situated in the Pigalle area, like la Loco.

WillTravel

Missatlanta, how late were you anticipating they would stay out? Recently my daughter wanted to go to a concert in Seattle that I had no interest in, and the band (Belle & Sebastian) was such that I had no real fear that the crowd would be rowdy. So I went into a restaurant a block away around 10:30 PM, waited for the concert to be over, and collected her around 11:30 PM (actually we then had to go around and wait for the lead singer to come out and autograph something for her), and we headed back to our hotel. My daughter is only 14 right now, so I don't know what I'll think when she's 16. Maybe you could arrange to go to a nearby restaurant or bar that's open late, and then pick up your daughters at a time you consider reasonable, and head to your hotel together by taxi. I know you'd have to stay up late, but how likely is it that you'd be able to sleep before they got back?

kybourbon

Willtravel - Clubs/bars/discos in Europe do not really open until 11 or 12 and most don't "get going" until 2 or 3.

WillTravel

KYBourbon, in that case I doubt I would be able to endure waiting until 4 AM for them to get back so I could go to sleep! On the other hand, the 19-year-old is an adult, and she should be able to look after her sister. I know kids do this sort of thing on backpacking trips all the time.

aussiekate

Does anyone know of any clubs or music spots in the Marais - we have a 15 and 18 year old and I am sure they would be interested in checking something out (we would no doubt go too - 15 is a bit young to be on her own just with sister)
thanks
kate

Tallulah

missatlanta: Does your 19 year old really want to be hanging out in a 'teen' club?

Christina

oh, the Locomotive is a very popular disco/club, and it does tend to skew young in its clientele. But that doesn't mean they limit the ages allowed in, it isn't really a teen club by definition, just a younger clientele. There are lots of bars in there, and it doesn't even open until 11 pm (few clubs do). You get a drink or two "free" as part of the admission, so there will definitely be drinking.

The Bus Palladium (if that's what it is) has one long bar along the entire room, and hard core rock from what I read. I really wouldn't recommend that place. The Locomotive has more variety.

There's another place popular with teens/young 20s out in the 20th, La Fleche d'Or, but that would be pretty far out. I don't know of any large clubs like that in the Marais, I don't think that area has that kind of thing. There are smaller jazz clubs and things (and large clubs in the 11th or 10th like Balajo or Barrio Latino), but I can't think of any large disco-type club in the Marais. Balajo on rue de Lappe isn't far, though.

There are some clubs in the Latin Qtr/St Germain that would be better IMO, as they are closer in. If you are staying within walking distance, so much the better. I'd recommend Le Saint on 7, rue St Severin right in the 5th as where I'd be comfortable with them going. The Caveau de la Huchette would also be a place to suggest (right near that), but it's not a disco/rock type of a club, but at least it would be night life. Younger people do go there. As I said, my 17-yr old charges had fun and no problem picking up guys (unfortunately). There is another more laid-back club around there in the Latin Qtr, Zed, at 2 rue des Anglais near Maubert metro. It's also open around 11-11:30. It's listed as oldie rock/swing/salsa, that kind of thing rather than hard core rock/techno etc.

Of course there is a disco in the bottom of the brasserie La Coupole up in Montparnasse. So, if the parents did want to go and hang out elsewhere, that would be an easy spot to do that -- the girls could go to the disco and the parents have something to eat or a drink in the brasserie part upstairs (and there are several cafes across the street or nearby, like Le Select where they could go, also). I don't actually like to hang out in La Coupole, but I do like the Select across the street (or the Rotonode or Dome down on the corner). Those places stay open fairly late, also (the cafes nearby), at least until 1 am. The Coupole disco opens around 11:30, like them all, and goes almost all night and the brasserie is open all night, also. These things change all the time (I know they went through music phases, and has salsa for some time), so you might want to stop by and check those things out before going (the disco and music). It may not be as youth-oriented, but I'd feel much more comfortable with these options than sending girls off in the middle of the night to the Clichy area of Montmartre to go to a club by themselves.

Christina

I couldn't find real good links on these, but this is one article that mentions a few of the alternatives I gave in the "clubs" section on the page

www.iexplore.com/cityguides/France/Paris/Dining

PalQ

If you read French i'd consult the Guide Routard - the French version of Let's Go europe - well not connected to Let's Go but same type of info and surely their Paris book has lots on places like this. Guide Routards are very popular in France. Personally i wouldn't worry with a 19 yr old in charge - you say they don't drink though both could legally in France where 61 is the legal age for beer and wine (18 for spirits) - the Aruba girl apparently was both drinking heavily and doing drugs. Just tell them not to go out of there with anyone and they'll be safe i'm sure and probably have the time of their lives.

nytraveler

These are not teen clubs in the US sense - just places for young people. I think you need to assume that they will drink and will be offered drugs. Hopefully they will not use them. And as someone mentioned these clubs don;t really get started before midnight - people go after dinner.

If you're not comfortable with your kids in that atmosphere - then don;t let them go (You really can;t go with them or wait outside.)

If they're city kids and relatively sophisicated they should be fine. (We had no problem with ours going out alone in Paris when they were similar ages - but they were used to drinking, clubbing and making their way home in the wee hours in NYC.) But if they're naive, not used to drinking or clubbing with adults it will be easy for them to make bad or even dangerous decisions - as did the unfortunate young woman in Aruba.

Only you know your daughters.

nytraveler

By the way - if the 19 year old is away at college I would assume she is drinking and has been offered and probably tried drugs already. (I'm not saying EVERY young person does - but by far the vast majority do.)

PalQ

As do the average 16 year olds if statistics are right! I think about half have smoked pot by that age and more drunk booze.

missatlanta

Thanks for the info. I will check out some of the other clubs mentioned. They might work better for us. Neither of my girls drink, even the 19 year old in college. She's been to parties where drinking went on, but it's just not her thing. They would never accept drugs and would probably be ready to promptly leave if pressured to do so. I imagine they wouldn't stay too long, just to be part of "the scene" for a while. We will definitely go with them and wait on them. We would never just let them go across town on their own. I'm too protective for that, but am willing to let them enjoy some fun with their peers. But their father and I will be around . . .

Christina

That sounds like a good idea -- that's another reason why the clubs in the Latin Qtr (Le Saint or Zed) would work better because both are right near the Seine and some of those pedestrian tourist streets and lots of cafes that are open late. So, you and their Dad could probably find a place nearby where you can just enjoy being in a cafe a while. There are lots of cafes near Le Saint which is on St Severin, and some nice ones along the quai where you can have a drink with a view of Notre Dame (the Leffe right across from Notre Dame, for example).

nytraveler

missatlanta -

I'm sure you're correct about your daughters - as I said parents know their own children best.

My assumptions are based on what I hear from my college-age step-daughters, their friends and my friends and family with college age kids.

These kids go to a broad range of schools in a variety of settings (big city, small town, various parts of the country, including more than one Catholic University) and are by and large good students who are serious about their educations (as serious as kids get - they're not dead). And all of them drink sometimes, have been offered drugs (and I'm sure most have tried them) - usually even before they get to college.

Since alcohol is part (hopefully small) of the lives of most adults I see nothing wrong with a little wine or beer - as long as it's kept under control. As for drugs, you can only hope your kids experiment briefly and move on - as most of us did.

But - you must understand that your kids will come into contact with both on a regular basis - no matter what school and how/serious good they are. Only their own knowledge and awareness - not any type if supervision - can help them make good decisions.

If the supervision is aimed at keeping naive girls safe in a less than optimum part of a foreign city - more power to you.