We will be in Paris for 3 days in June. We love window shopping and walking. Does anyone have suggestions for independent small home shops/area that we might have missed before?!
Walk along rue de Bac in the 7th, starting at le Bon Marché and proceed north to blvd St Germain. Conan home store is also here.
Explore the Carré Rive Gauche, blocks and blocks of antiquaires, art galleries, shops selling lamps, fabric, anything for the home. You could easily spend the entire day strolling these streets. There are several good restaurants here as well, including one of my favorite restaurants in Paris, les Eclipses.
That’s a great idea!
Check out Auteuil in the 16th or Passy. Residential areas with some beautiful boutiques.
The 3rd arrondissement has many small galleries & home decor shops too. Right off Rue De Bretagne, I really like "Empreintes": it is a fairly large store that displays a rotating sélection of works from French artisans. There is china, woodwork, lithographs, small furniture, etc. at all price levels.
Thanks! What a great resource this is!
This is from @DavidLibovitz blog, I've saved it for our next trip! It looks like more of a junk yard for kitchen items and is a 30-min outside Paris, via Gare de Nord with a 10-min walk. "Bravo Brocante - Where restaurant fixtures in Paris don't go to die...it's where they go back on the block! There were racks of miscellaneous glassware, some mismatched but others lined up by the dozens...boxes of mismatched plates and silverware, beer signs... with all sorts of things salvaged from restaurants, cafés, brasseries, and bistros in and around Paris, (and don’t forget to bargain…)" https://davidlebovitz.substack.com/p/bravo-brocante?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
@Sandancisco, the place you mention in Epinay looks fun, but that area is not very pleasant, with some run-down (EDIT: and possibly unsafe) pockets. I would not make the trip from Paris just for it. Perhaps if you intend going to the Basilique in Saint-Denis, but not otherwise.
Hey thanks, good to know! I love thrift stores and not-crowded flea markets, so had thought to try it. Is 'run down' a euphemism for dangerous, or just not on the typical list for people who want to see the elegant side of Paris? Apologies for the digression, probably not on a 3-day itinerary...
I think you would find some suggestions on the blog The Real Emily in Paris..
@Sandancisco, the area does have the reputation of being unsafe in parts, and my experience is limited accordingly.
Les Puces at St Ouen aren't crowded in my experience, and are a lot of fun if you are there at the weekend. Easier to get to, safe once you're there (surrounding streets can be dodgy, but it it mostly a case of watching out for your belongings).
Thanks @Janet & @Balso, most appreciated! OP, if you have time for the flea market suggested, Les Puces St. Ouen, I just looked it up. https://www.pucesdeparissaintouen.com/en/les-puces/
I can hardly wait to go exploring!
I’ve always wanted to checkout this area of shops in the 12th, and somehow, each visit, I manage to miss it.
Viaduc des Arts
http://www.leviaducdesarts.com/en/ateliers-1.html?viaduc=ateliers
Website says: A showcase for arts and crafts and contemporary creation in Paris, the Viaduc des Arts today houses the creations of 37 craftsmen and women who materialise their talents through fashion, decoration, culture, jewellery crafts, etc.