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# System prepended metadata

title: 'A local mini-guide to visiting and eating Paris '

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## Getting around

**By walk**. Paris is a walkable city. Here is a small tip to get by when you are walking around and wondering where you are exactly: it looks like a snail - the irony of France's capital city. Note that Parisians don't hesitate to cross when its red for pedestrians, and you too can do it! Though be mindful of cars, scooters and bikes (!!). Also, beware of bikelanes: parisians aren't usually very gentle/polite (see below).

![paris-arrdnt](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/S1g982vYQgl.png =500x300)
*Paris is snail-like organized*

**By metro**. The metro is great. In terms of cleanliness, you might have a slight culture shock. The thing is that the metro is really old (the line 1 was opened in 1900!) and only the bare minimum of public money is going into taking care of it. Try to avoid it during rush hours (8am-9am and 5-6/7pm). If you manage to avoid those, the metro is generally a cheap and reliable way to get by. Try to snap a weekly navigo card, individual tickets can quickly amount to an hefty sum.


**By bike** Bikes have been exponentially popular. Parisians use Velib a lot. Over the last years, Lime and Dott have also been offering on-the-go bike rentals. They are more expensive but of higher quality and more reliable. Careful, while Velib does have parking station in the suburbs, Lime afaik doesn't make it possible to go beyond the peripherique. Be careful when you ride, especially during rush hours. Bike lanes have been improving but not at the same rate as the number of people riding in Paris, they are pretty small, making people pretty reckless during rush hours. Also, the car vs bikes relationship has reached unreal amounts of rivalry today: stop at red lights and don't expect cars to be bike-mindful. 

![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rkduMc8Exx.png =500x300)
*The peripherique is some big road circling Paris. It delimits Paris from its suburbs.*

**Buses** Buses are also pretty good. Like metros, avoid rush hours. Note that if you hop between a metro and a bus, you will need another ticket or pass your navigo again. 

**Trams** I like the tram as well. Great way to circle around Paris, if you are interested in seeing the city's edges as well.

## Paris by Walk

Bastille/Les quais/Notre Dame. Bastille is the 11th district flagship neighborhood. Lots of history, restaurants. Very active nightlife during weekends. Buzzing with pop up design and clothing shops, a few cool book and music stores as well. Les quais (dockyards) are great to relax and walk alongside parisians during the weekend. Some nice little bars along it as well. 

![bastille-quais](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/r18NjPKXge.png =500x300)
*Bastille/Les quais/Notre Dame*

Chatelet/Le Marais. Chatelet hosts one the biggest mall of Paris. Maybe not the most interesting thing to see there. Still, Chatelet is a major place for teenagers and young adults there to meet and grab a bite in a fast-food while buying a pair of sneakers. Not far away is Le marais, one of Paris oldest neighborohood. If you can, go grab a falafel at L'As du Falafel - don't go to any other, I've tried them and it is actually true that l'As du Falafel is the best one around.

![chatelet-marais-bastille](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HJbJhvFQee.png =500x300)
*Chatelet/Le Marais*

Parc du Luxembourg/Saint-Michel/Jardin des Plantes. Greenery! Two of the most well-known public parcs in Paris. Saint-Michel has some great second-hand bookstores. Its next to Notre Dame, sights there are really nice. Note that lots of students go there to drink during the weekend.

![luxembourg-plantes](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SkBUnPtmll.png =500x300)
*Parc du Luxembourg/Saint-Michel/Jardin des Plantes*

Pere Lachaise/Rue de la roquette. Most famous cemetery in Paris (if not in France). Very cool during summer, stunning trees. Grab a coffee in a nearby Bistrot and visit tombs of some of the greatest writers and singers: Balzac, Jim Morrison, Proust, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf.. I recommend it!

![pere-lachaise-republique](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/S1QgavtXxl.png =500x300)
*Pere Lachaise/Rue de la roquette*

Sacre coeur/Opera Garnier. Very touristy. But Sacre Coeur is beautiful. Go down the rue des Martyrs until reaching the Opera Garnier. Maybe before going to watch a ballet there?

![sacre-coeur-garnier](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/H1M6AvKQgg.png =200x300)
*Sacre coeur/Opera Garnier*

Parc Floral/Bois de Vincennes. Great greeny place in Paris! One of my favourite. Used to go there a lot as a kid. Parc Floral hosts some great flower species.

![parc-floral-bois-vincennes](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/B1MOJ_KQge.png =500x300)
*Parc Floral/Bois de Vincennes*

La Villette/Jaures/Republique. A long walk along some of Paris most famous Canal. Le jardin des bambous is an epic place in La Villette. Republique is another major Parisian spot in Paris right bank. Surrounded by great restaurants and shops. If you go there during the week-end, there is a non-negligible probability of a public demonstration. Have a watch! Be a tad mindful about what the mood looks like, though there isn't much to worry about, such things are 100% part of Parisian and french culture.

![villette-republique](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/Sy3DldKmgx.png =400x300)
*La Villette/Jaures/Republique*

BNF/Parc de Bercy. I know you both are bookworms. Head to the BNF, grab an entry ticket and go explore the different books there. The bibliotheque nationale de france started during the XVth century, mostly as a way to control how books where circulating at the time and what their content was - the early days of modern censorship in France.

![bnf-bercy](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HJY3l_Kmlg.png =500x300)
*BNF/Parc de Bercy*

## Paris by Food

Kebabs are very popular in Paris. You mostly have two kinds of them, those using mostly refrigerated products and those using mostly fresh ingredients. I actually like both, since refrigerated food based kebabs are actually my not so appetizing [madeleine de proust](https://www.penguin.co.uk/discover/articles/more-than-cake-unravelling-the-mysteries-of-proust-s-madeleine).

Chinese. 20eme arrondissement. Great raviolis in the rue de Belleville.

Vietnamese. 13eme arrondissement. Historical neighborhood for the vietnamese diaspora during Vietnam war. Some of the best restaurants in Paris where price-food ratio is unmatched.

Crepes 15eme arrondissement. Quartier du Montparnasse has lots of small restaurant dedicated to crepes and food from Bretagne and Normandy. Montparnasse used to be the train station from where trains departed for Bretagne. Exit at Edgar Quinet station and head to the rue du Montparnasse to eat a good crepe with some cider!

Bouillons. Bouillon Chartier. Created in second half of 19th century. Idea: quality food, fast at reasonable prices. Mostly french traditional cuisine. Bouillon Republique should do the job. Not the greatest french cuisine, but to try at least for the atmosphere. Parisians like to eat there.

Marches du dimanche. Some great little markets on sunday morning. Cool on is Marche d'Aligre rusn everyday, except on mondays. You can check timetable [here](https://www.paris.fr/lieux/marche-couvert-beauvau-marche-d-aligre-5480).

