Canal St Martin

Yes, but I qualify it with "not on a short trip" (under a week). I am not a fan of the area myself, did it once many years ago and that was enough, and I have been to Paris over the last 40 years more times than I can count...too many other parks and neighborhoods to see that, for me, come before this one, which would rank fairly low on a list if I were to actually make such a list.

Despite my many trips to Paris, I still have many things to see and do that I have never gotten around to...we will be there again later this year and the "to see" list is literally endless.

Maybe Jojo visited the Canal Saint-Martin neighborhood before the 2000s. Back then, it really wasn't a well-known area, even though it was quintessentially Parisian.

I lived there for a few years (on Rue des Récollets) and used to grab drinks all the time with buddies at "L'Atmosphère." The bar took its name from the famous line in the 1938 movie Hôtel du Nord, which was partly shot in the neighborhood.

https://youtu.be/KYic1U1a6yw

The hotel itself was recreated in a film studio for the interior shots, but it's still standing right there by the canal.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zmitdgGSj6sw5DDT6

The bar is still there, though it’s now a restaurant as well.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/a7xmBSGvmjFLMDm48

I moved away right when it was starting to get super trendy (at least for Parisians like me), with designer clothing boutiques and hipster restaurants popping up everywhere. From what I know, it’s still just as hip today, but with a lot more tourists. Still, it’s pretty nice to stroll around for a few hours, maybe grab lunch or a drink, and watch the boats go through the locks.

If you follow the canal south, you end up at Place de la Bastille.

On an extended stay I would totally check it out. I agree it can be a mixed bag on vibes, it’s certainly less romantic than the impression some might give. On nice days, the young crowd can mob the banks at the northern end. This can range from “cool slice of Parisian life” to “I definitely don’t belong here” at its extreme ends. Count it as one of Paris’ B-Sides.

I went once after several trips to Paris because I bought into the hype. I think that's all it was. My feeling is that this area was overlooked by tourists for good reason. But then the city and business owners there decided to aggressively promote the place to attract more tourist dollars. I found it dirty with no real attractions (other than the polluted canal). I don't plan on going back, and feel there are many, many places in Paris that are far more appealing—even many that are overlooked for no good reason.

Our whole family loves the Canal St Martin neighborhood (parents around 80; son 40s). We like the fact that when we’re there we feel like we’re IN Paris among Parisians. That is, seeing and walking alongside people going to work, going shopping, taking children to day care or school. We found good restaurants and cafés, a book store, and beautiful parks nearby. We get around sometimes on the bus, but mostly on foot. Train stations are close if you want to get out of town for an afternoon.

Canal St Martin probably wouldn’t work for somebody looking to visit a list of “must see” sites in a short time, but we find it very pleasant. Important note: we travel in the late fall and winter, between October and March.

Maybe Jojo visited the Canal Saint-Martin neighborhood before the 2000s. Back then, it really wasn't a well-known area, even though it was quintessentially Parisian.

Actually, it was in 2018. My mistake is that I didn't just visit the area, I stayed in a hotel there...I was traveling with a friend who did not want to share a room with me (OK by me), but he also had a very tight budget...I found us a decent hotel, but the hotel was not the issue, being in that neighborhood was just way too much...It was a short trip to Paris - 3 or 4 nights - and we went our separate ways after that, so I survived...it can be a bit sketchy after dark, too, but most people who are popping in for a few hours during the day may find they like the area more than I did.

Even though the canal was reportedly cleaned up before we stayed there, we saw garbage, bicycles, and other large items in it...charming? Umm, not so much...have they kept it cleaner than that?

I don't know if it's any cleaner, but in the last few days there was a bit more than just garbage in the canal.

...Just a few thousand swimmers (and there were lifeguards on duty).

https://youtu.be/FTvbYHvyGDk

JoLui, I walked quite a way along the canal on a lovely day in March, and I remember thinking the water didn’t look any too clean then. You couldn’t pay me…. ~blech ~

Canal St Martin probably wouldn’t work for somebody looking to visit a list of “must see” sites in a short time, but we find it very pleasant.

I agree. I like the area because of the proximity to Gare de l'Est, and because I like Le Citizen Hotel. Once time we walked from Le Citizen to Pere Lachaise cemetery and enjoyed the walk and cemetery very much. I don't think I would swim in that canal if you held a gun to my head - well maybe in that case.

we used to do apero here with local friends -- there are picnic tables along stretches of the canal served by nearby cafes with bar food and drinks -- pleasant of an evening.

FYI canal st martin is sadly famous at the moment with a boy (14) nicknamed la douane who watersplash you with a watergun if you do not pay him a 2€ fee for passing by...it is also a drug dealing point but refreshing point in the summer

Like JoLui, my memories of the Canal go back to the 1970s when it had rundown warehouses lining the Canal and the little Hotel du Nord of movie fame. My American brain told me that this would be a good investment because someday...but I was a broke student then. Then in 2007 we spent six months in an apartment nearby and saw it being spiffed up a bit. But that's also where the homeless encampment was set up along the banks for months and months supported by activists delivering tents and food. I have no idea what it's like today. If on a lengthy stay, an hour over there would be enough. You might want to walk north along the Canal Saint Martin and the Canal Ourcq to La Villette.
If you have a lengthy stay, I suggest you buy the Michelin green guide for the most complete coverage of every corner of Paris. Also interesting would be one of those Paris Mysterious or Paris Secret guidebooks that leads you to all the quirky sights such as the oldest house, the narrowest building, original walls built during different dynasties, etc. Our copy (in French) is called Paris Secret. Even my Parisian husband enjoyed discovering his hometown using it. I've seen these kinds of books in English.

There is a high concentration of interesting restaurants, ice cream shops, coffee shops and other stores in the Canal area (especially south of the canal's bend, on both sides), and also towards the Porte Saint Martin if you stroll along rue de Lancry and rue du Château d'Eau. The homeless encampment.in Jardin Villemin was dismantled 15 years ago, by the way.

Does it make it a must-see? Probably not: the view from some bridges is picturesque but otherwise it is not particularly pretty. However, if you aren't too far away, why not check it out? It's a short hop from the Marais or Grands Boulevards, for example.

This being said, these days I might enjoy the nearby area of Square Gardette and rue St Maur (around the Atelier des Lumières) a bit more. It's cleaner, the food and coffee options are very interesting, and there are some lovely bookshops. The vibe is more "adult" than around the canal (even though the canal businesses do cater to a very adult crowd, they ain't cheap!).