"Queens sounds like such a quaint place to visit while I'm visiting New York for the first time, would you like to meet me there for lunch and then we can go shopping with the girls?" Okay, got your attention? So, Paris also has it's 'neighborhoods' too. So when I see "visit Paris' Little Africa for a truely unique cultural experience" posted, is the experience... for the yankee 'Bone-jower, mohn-swer!' tourist right out of deliverance? I would love to visit ethnic neighborhoods such as little italy, little india, little morocco (that is if they exist), but want to keep ourselves safe by not wandering onto the wrong side of the creek! Suggestions?
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10633 posts
Paris is filled with immigrants from Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. A few areas: Asians moved into the high rises in the 13th. Newer Asian immigrants are in Belleville. The African hair salons are at Bd. Strasbourg and rue du Chateau d'Eau though many Africans live in slums in and outside of Paris. Across Bd. Strasbourg at the same intersection many male Turkish immigrant workers live in crowded conditions. Turkish and North African stores on rue du faubourg St. Martin. Metro Barbes is North African. Passage Brady has Indian shops. It's not divided into Little This and Little That like east coast US cities. The immigrants are on the east side of the city very far from the upper classes on the west side of Paris and rue Cler. Some of the areas are ok; some are grungy. Ed and others could probably add a lot more.
Posted by
Atlanta, Ga, USA
2023 posts
We were in Paris last month and visited Basilica St Denis which is worth seeing. Decided to walk around the area and it had a real ethnic feel-quite gritty really. When in Paris I prefer charm. I wanted to visit the African neighborhood near the Monmarte but we ran short on time. There was an episode on Globe Trotter that featured that area and it looked super interesting.
Posted by
Ottawa
1446 posts
Last month, 4 of us tried a great African restaurant called Le Nilaja. It brands itself as "ethno-chic". It's just off Faubourg Saint-Antoine (Métro line 8), in a vibrant multi-ethnic neighbourhood. The night we went, there was even a film crew shooting just down the street. The food was delicious (the Yassa especially yummy!) and the price very reasonable. The welcome was friendly & warm, the restaurant was very tastefully decorated, and a bit of English was spoken. Paris, like London, is a great foodie mecca for ethnic food gourmets / gourmands. :-) http://www.lenilaja.com/ In the evenings, the door opens anytime between 7:30-8PM and quickly fills. They are open at lunchtime too. The e-mail address on the website is incorrect, it's: [email protected] ... and you don't have to eat the foutou or atiéké with your fingers, LOL!!
Posted by
Martinez, CA, USA
1548 posts
We second Basilica St Denis. We didn't have much time to visit the neighborhood but it seemed interesting and safe.
Posted by
Monein, Pyrenees, France
425 posts
Avoid areas with multi-storey apartment blocks - as in some northern suburbs. p.s. I met my cousin for a drink, near where she lives, in Queens, and had no problems with it!! Roger