Saint Denis Safety

I went to the Basilica in 2013. It is not in the poshest part of Paris. in fact, I read once that it is an industrial suburb. I think that sometimes people confuse lower income or what a friend of mine calls gritty with unsafe. It may not be charming but it is not dangerous -- no drive by shootings, mugging, armed robbery, etc. as you walk from the metro to the basilica. I did not see a lot to do in the area other than the Basilica so after my visit, I headed back to Paris for lunch -- to a restaurant in the Goutte d'Or for north African food.

I, a female solo traveler, went there on my own two years ago and felt perfectly safe. The slightly gritty neighborhood surrounding the Basilica was home to some great street art, if that interests you. I was not there on the right day but I understand the market is quite colorful and worth a visit.

I too, travel solo. I was a "visiting Nurse" in the early 80's in South-Central Los Angeles and have pretty good street-smarts and "radar". I will go to visit. Thank you both for your timely responses.

Yes go, the basilica is fantastic.

Best most overlooked site in Paris.
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/confronting-mortality-at-st-denis/
We have been twice and on one occasion walked further afield and had lunch in a sort of working man's pub before getting the tram. It is a gritty area but particularly if you stick near the basilica (which is a block or so from the metro stop and on the town square) I would not be concerned. The waiter at the cafe where we got coffee did caution us to not leave our phones on the table (this is however an issue anywhere in Paris)

There are lots of armed soldiers patrolling the area now, since the terror alert remains at the highest possible level.
I wouldn't call the area "gritty" - but there are people of all ethnic origins here and you'll see few tourists. It's a normal, lower-working-class suburb of Paris, nothing to be afraid of.
Just make sure that you know where you are headed - it isn't far to the Basilica.
You might think about doing a GoogleWalk StreetView tour of the area, to set your mind at ease.

I went to the basilica in April this year and felt comfortable there. There are a lot of immigrants in the area around the Metro station and Saint-Denis - I'm just telling you this so you know what to expect. There are signs directing you to the basilica just outside the station and the basilica itself is basically around the corner from the station.

I too visited it as a solo woman, as said area is def " working class" but i felt safe enough. Waiter did tell me not to leave my ebook laying out on cafe table( outside table) becasue i had put it down to rustle through my purse . Basically take same precautions you would and should anywhere, keep purse closed and dont hang it off chair etc, but for personal safety , dont worry.

I really enjoyed my visit btw, do visit the crypts !!!

Is it safe to take the metro from the Eiffel Tower area to the Basilica?

Junglejudi, the answer to your question is yes.

Of course it is jungljudi , do think the rest of us walked lol

Yes. Be sure to ID the correct Metro stop, Basilique de St-Denis on line 13, not other stops with St-Denis in the name.

jungle -- the Paris metro is safe everywhere and full of people till late at night. You aren't in the US in Paris where random violence is common. It is exceedingly rare in Paris; assaults on tourists are virtually unheard of.

There are signs directing you to the basilica just outside the station and the basilica itself is basically around the corner from the station.

I wonder if they were recently added, or I'm just blind and didn't see them. I visited the Cathedral in 2014 and after exiting the station did not see any signs (and I looked). For the OP I would suggest printing a map from Google and taking it with you. It's only a few hundred feet away, but you walk thru corridors of tall buildings spaced close together to get to the Cathedral so it is not visible from the station. Take a look at the Google Earth view and you'll see what I mean.

Bill, for what it's worth I do recall signs when we were there September 2014.

Here's my gallery from our time there, with several shots of the rue de la Republique, the main drag, and as noted above it is one of the grandest and most under appreciated sights around Paris.

https://thecedarchest.smugmug.com/Paris-2014-Saint-Denis/

Dave, thanks for the photos. I'm adding St. Denis to my "to see" list!

I loved Saint-Denis, it is unforgettable to see the sunlight through the stained glass. The area seemed safe enough for me not to worry about it.

Thanks to those who gave helpful replies.

As others have said, whilst it may be a 'gritty' area, it is definitely not a 'no go' area. Take extra precaution with personal safety - cameras, bags, phones. The stained glass and royal tombs in the Basilica are beautiful - certainly worth a visit.

Thank you to all who responded to my question. I DID go to the Bascilica of St. Denis during my recent trip. What an incredible site! The bascilica is about 150 meters from the Metro (Line 13) stop (up the stairs then walk out and to the left and then left again) - directions well signed. Helps to know a bit of the history (good information on the St. Denis website). Agree with others that this is one of best and most overlooked near Paris sites! Amazing sculptures. The neighborhood is quite diverse but, never felt unsafe.