mstraveler

My 22 year old niece is graduating in May and going to Paris for a visit. She wants advice on which arrondissement to stay in. I know the city fairly well, but only as an adult, i.e. with more money than she has. Where would be the cool places for her age group these days? I know what I would tell someone that age coming to San Francisco (Mission, Valencia corridor etc.) or New York or Washington, but am at a loss here. Any advice appreciated.

StCirq

Oberkampf.

crosscheck

My son, 21, just returned from a semester abroad in Florence, and when he traveled to Paris he stayed in the 5th (the Latin Quarter) at the Young and Happy Hostel (name says it all, I guess). He said the hostel wasn't quite as nice the ones where he stayed in Berlin and Copenhagen, but the location was ideal for cafes and nightlife - and in the middle of the cool area for both international and French students.

http://www.youngandhappy.fr/en-acces.php

avalon

I'd pick 4 or 5

spaarne

How long is she staying? My 22 year old daughter enrolled at the Alliance Francaise for a month and stayed in a dorm at the Cite Internationale Universitare, south end of the 15th. The metro is handy for getting everywhere. For a shorter stay I suggest the 5th or 6th. I lived in the 5th 25 years ago. Great location.

nikt34

The Oberkampf area is great indeed, just as the Bastille, Republique and Marais - actually all these districts kind of melt together. If you need a cheaper hotel rather than a hostel, you could try Hotel Annexe or the Garden Hotel in that area.
http://annexe-paris-hotel.com/
http://www.garden-hotel-paris.com/
The Latin Quarter is also a very nice and interesting location, but it's more difficult to find real budget places there. Grand Hotel Jeanne D'Arc, in the 13th but close to rue Mouffetard, is one I know.
http://grandhoteljeannedarcparis.com/
I wouldn't rule out Montparnasse either which has a very local flavor and is convenient to other parts of the city. Hotel Aberotel is a charming, friendly and reasonably priced place.
http://www.aberotelparishotel.com/

qwovadis

www.3ducks.fr best
www.mije.com
For hotel hotel-collegedefrance.com
Latin Quarter by the Sorbonne very best.

FrenchMystiqueTours

For a cool vibe for a 22 year old similar to The Mission neighborhood your niece should definitely choose either rue Oberkampf/rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud or closer to Bastille near rue de la Roquette/rue de Lappe. These areas have the most hip bars for the younger (and older) crowds and are full of life and not touristy.

mstraveler

Merci beaucoup! Not sure how long she is staying but these suggestions are perfect.

Christina

I agree with the various parts of the 11th, or maybe around Y&H hostel (which is probably a reference to place Contrescarpe as a place for lots of young people). DOn't agree with the 4th, and really don't agree with Cite Universitaire which is at the bottom of the 14th, not 15th. I stayed there, it's a residential hall, that's all, not a place to go hang out, there isn't a lot down there, actually. I had trouble even finding places to eat on Sunday. If she's just going for a visit, she can't stay there and there wouldn't be vacancies in May, anyway, most likely.

mstraveler

She found a place in the 5th that she is considering on rue des Boulangers (between Jussieu and Cardinal Lemoine metro stops). Can anyone who knows that area comment on safety for two young women? I suspect it is fine but we have stayed in the Marais for the pasts several trips and I have not been in the 5th in a while. Merci!

chevre

That area is fine for safety. But man if I was 22 I'd stay in the 11th (Oberkampf). It's a really a happening area right now. It bleeds into the Bastille area which is loaded with cafes and bars that are frequented by those in their 20's,(something I notice enviously, those days that seem not that long ago!)If she found a place that is reasonably priced that she likes, the metro will get her anywhere she chooses.

mstraveler

Thanks for swift reply chevre. Have passed info along.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Actually Oberkampf is not near the Bastille area. That would be rue de Lappe and rue de la Roquette that are near the Bastille area. But along with rue Oberkampf these streets will have more of what you say your 22 year old is looking for than the area she is focusing on in the 5th.

zeppole

WHen I was 22, I noticed that I enjoyed many things other 22 year olds did not enjoy, and I detested doing many of things that were regarded by adults as interesting for 22 year olds, and even by many other 22 year olds. I am sometimes in ear shot of 22 year olds who are traveling in Italy, and were I still 22, I'd avoid them.

Long way of saying your niece either is or isn't a "typical" 22 year old. Does your niece like the Mission district? Where does she think is interesting in NYC? Washington?

The first time I went to Paris when I was not too much older than your niece I spent as much time as I could in the Louvre. I didn't have ANY money, so I ate what I could afford. Does she have any interests other than being with her peer group?

toupary6

I lived in that part of the 5th for four months when I first moved to Paris. Rue des Boulangers is one of those streets that leaves you no doubt you're in Paris. What a wonderful find for young girls on their first trip to Paris.

My bakery (boulanger ;-) ) and internet café were on rue des Boulangers.

Everyone in Paris thinks their neighborhood is the best place to be. When I lived there, I was sure that was it, and when I moved to the 6th, I was convinced that was.

I would keep that apartment, if it were me.

While I agree that Oberkampf/Bastille/parts of the 12th are hip and happening, it really doesn't matter where one stays, Paris is such an easy city to get around. It's about a 10-minute walk from rue des Boulangers to place de la Contrescarpe, and about the same distance to more lively parts of the 5th. (That part is very lively during the day, lots of students.)

Hope this helps.

mstraveler

Thanks all. They ended up choosing an apartment a little ways away at the intersection of Rue de Montagne Sainte Genevieve and Rue Descartes.They like the apartment, and I think the 5th will be a good match for them.

toupary6

Also a great location. Tell them to check out rue Laplace -- very short street off rue de la Montaigne Sainte-Geneviève -- for a great restaurant and a fun Irish bar.