what Arrondissement in Paris?

I personally prefer the 5th or 6th as you can walk to just about everything but the Eiffel Tower and
the Arc de Triomphe. It is also an old (pre- Haussman) area of Paris with lots of restaurants, etc. Try to be as near to the Seine as possible as that will make everything that much
more convenient. Walk to Notre Dame, l'isle St.Louis(for ice cream at Bertillion), Sainte Chapelle, the Louvre, the D'Orsay, Rodin museum/garden, the Cluny Museum. If you have DaVinciCode fans, perhaps you'd like Sainte Sulpice as well. Good metro connections as well. Happy trip.

I personally prefer the 5th or 6th as you can walk to just about everything but the Eiffel Tower and
the Arc de Triomphe. It is also an old (pre- Haussman) area of Paris with lots of restaurants, etc. Try to be as near to the Seine as possible as that will make everything that much
more convenient. Walk to Notre Dame, l'isle St.Louis(for ice cream at Bertillion), Sainte Chapelle, the Louvre, the D'Orsay, Rodin museum/garden, the Cluny Museum. If you have DaVinciCode fans, perhaps you'd like Sainte Sulpice as well. Good metro connections as well. Happy trip.

Thank you! :)

http://troi.cc.rochester.edu/~tdip/tomsguidetoparis.htm

Viv, the above link may help... P

I would recommend the 4th, western part of the 5th, the 6th and the 7th. My favorite area in all of Paris is the Ile St. Louis, which is the island behind Notre Dame and is part of the 4th arrondissement. Enjoy!

1ère This is the geographical center of Paris and a haven for tourists. The Louvre, Les Halles and the Palais Royal are all here.

2ème A primarily business district. The Paris Stock Market (the Bourse) and the Bibliothèque Nationale Richelieu are here.

3ème Along with the 4ème arrondissement, this neighborhood makes up the Marais, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris. Many 17th century mansions that once housed the noblest families in Paris are still to be seen in this quiet and ungentrified neighborhood.

4ème The center of the Marais, this is a lively neighborhood with a strong alternative lifestyle scene as well as lots of trendy bars, shops, and restaurants. The rue des Rosiers is a centerpiece of Jewish lifestyle in Paris and the Ile St. Louis and the Ile de la Cité are the oldest parts of Paris.

5ème The fabled Latin Quarter. This neighborhood takes its name from the Sorbonne, where Latin was the common tongue for all students during the Middle Ages. The neighborhood has the feel of a small village and students mix freely with professionals in its winding streets. The rue Mouffetard is a primary artery where shops, international restaurants and student bars and cafés are found.

6ème St. Germain. Once the hangout for bohemians and intellectuals, this neighborhood has undergone gentrification and is now newly chic. Upscale boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants can be found throughout this district.

7ème The Eiffel Tower, the Musée d'Orsay and lots of international residents can be found in this very wealthy neighborhood.

8ème This upscale neighborhood is in fact quite diverse. The area around Champs Elysèe, has lots of shopping and lots of tourists, while in the area to the East, between the Champs Elysee and Place de la Madeleine you will find a mixture of 19th centu

13ème Residential neighborhood, as well as Paris' Chinatown. Place d'Italie.

14ème Montparnasse and the Cité Universitaire are found in this residential district traditionally known for its lively cafés and restaurants around the Blvd. Montparnasse.

15ème This large primarily residential neighborhood ranges from very upscale in the area bordering the 7th arrondissement and the Seine, to relatively safe and affordable in the more outlying areas. One of Rick's recommendations.

THANK YOU, thank you, thank you!! That was wonderful, exactly what I was looking for.

:) Viv

Jona: Thank you for taking the time to share your local knowledge of the arrondissement with us!

Per request by Norm... 5 Euros

9ème A diverse residential area popular among an artistic crowd. Ths Southern portion is similar to the 2nd arrondissement, with a mix of residential and business buildings. The Paris Opera is located here as well as the big Gallery Lafayette. Farther North is Pigalle, the fading Red Light district as well as the famous Moulin Rouge. Staying here can be sketchy.

10ème The two main train stations in Paris are here, the Gare de l'Est and the Gare du Nord. This multi-cultural neighborhood also contains a bohemian element. Can be a bit far for typical tourists - but prices will be cheaper.

11ème Place de la Bastille and the New Opera are found here. This is a primarily residential district. Lots of night life and great walks. A lot of bike paths too. And an Apple repair store...as we are still waiting for our own Apple store.

12ème Residential neighborhood bordered on the east by the Bois de Vincennes ( a nice park ). Cimitiere du Pere Lachaies is here too.

16ème Bois de Boulogne, Trocadero. Bateaux Mouche rides (Alma Marceau). Very residential with lots of the worlds Embassies here. Residential considered to be THE wealthy district. OECD is near La Muette.... something to research. :o)

17ème This diverse district really contains more than one neighborhood, with the portion, in the west, near the Arc de Triomph and Parc Monceau, being very upscale. Although a great area - this too can be hard to get to all the tourist items - because it is just a little "too far out".

18ème Montmartre. This artsy residential neighborhood has a small village feel and lots of tourists. Let's not forget the hills. If you love your stair master - you will love Monmartre.

19ème The Parc des Buttes Chaumont. A residential neighborhood with many ethnic restaurants and shops.Bassin de la Villette is here - great for walks and bike rides.

20ème Belleville and the Père-Lachaise cemetery. This is an outer residential area - not much tourist attraction.

Jona....an absolutely brilliant and concise summary of Paris. We usually rent our apartment in the 15ieme along the border with 7ieme. Hopefully, your insightful description of Paris' many charms will encourage more visitors to understand that there's more than just "Rue Cler" to get that Parisian experience! And the next time I'm there, I'll pay my bill ;)

Viv-

We literally just finished a stay with Vacation in Paris. We stayed in the 5th arrondissement at the Port Royal (I think ID 156). The apartment was small, but just fine. We are also a family of 4. There is an adequate "master" bedroom, a small kid's bedroom with available trundle bed (although I think it would be very tight to pull the trundle out), as well as a very big pull out couch. We did just fine. The location is perfect. Our first day (jet-lagged off the plane), we just ambled up to the Luxembourg gardens and let the kids play. Notre Dame and Ile de la Cite are within easy walking distance, as are many other sites. Even with two small kids, we were able to visit many sites, museums, and even a day at Disneyland Paris (we figured it a fair trade-off for them). I would easily recommend that apartment to anyone. The neighborhood felt safe (although we were rarely out much after dark), and also didn't feel too "touristy." Have a great time!
Heather

Thanks again for writing in from the field. I also saw your Versailles post. Is everything happening as you expected, or have there been some surprises?

We rented an apt in the 6th on Rue St. Andre des Arts just off the St. Michel area. It was a great location for us -- close to the metro, Notre Dame, St. Chappelle, the Louvre, etc. The free nightlife around Notre Dame was great fun. We would definitely choose this area again -- the location was just so convenient for everything we were interested in.

Jona: I've been having fun using Google Earth to fly over each arrondissement while at the same time reading your concise and thoughtful description of each district. Thank you for taking the time to write it and share it with us.

Thanks for keeping a best-kept secret about the Montorgueil area in the 2nd Arrondissement. Don't tell people how trendy and fun it is. Just let them believe the whole area is all business. Don't let them know it's right next to the Marais, and to Beaubourg. And, for God's sake, don't let the secret out about rue Tiquetonne having 40 or 50 restaurants in a row. Don't let them know how safe it is, either!
Or, that you can walk to the Seine in a few minutes.
We don't want them to discover this special little piece of paradise :-)
Let's keep it our little secret :-)

That summary of the paris neighborhoods is from the webpage http://www.parisnet.com/parismap.html

I too love the rue Montorgueil area, and I recently stayed in the 9th arr. on rue de Rosiers, just down from the Follies Bergiere. When I booked I had some reservations about the area, which I was unfamiliar with -- but it turned out out to be a fine area. Would stay there again.

I have to agree with Ray. We just got back from Europe where we spent 5 nights in the 2e a few feet from Rue Montorguiel and it was a GREAT place. Close to more than one Metro stop, absolutely within walking distance of the Louvre, etc., etc., etc. Actually, given my limited vast exposure to all arrondisements, I'm not sure you can go wrong no matter where you stay.

I like Jona's May 08 description, from parisnet.com, of the various arrondissements, and thought new posters might like to read.