The 19th arrondissement of northeastern Paris sits on the Right Bank of the Seine River. Its land area is approximately 2.6 square miles (slightly more than six and three quarters square kilometers). The population is about one hundred seventy thousand. This district is home to approximately seventy thousand jobs and two canals, the Canal Saint-Denis and the Canal de l'Ourcq. This arrondissement is fairly residential and is not visited by loads of tourists. In other words, by spending some time there you may get an idea of the real Paris; one that is usually less expensive than the touristy arrondissements.
The Parc des Buttes Chaumont built over a gypsum quarry and execution ground was designed for the famous Baron Haussmann, the guy who really redid Paris well over a century ago. It is one of the largest parks in Paris and contains many lovely features including English and Chinese gardens, a waterfall, and several cliffs and bridges. A major highlight is the Corinthian style Temple of Sybil that stands almost three hundred feet (about ninety meters) high. This park is one of the few in Paris where you are allowed to picnic on the grass. It has been called the most romantic park in Paris, certainly one of the most romantic cities in the world.
What is less romantic than a slaughterhouse? To say that Villette was a slaughterhouse is like saying the Empire State Building is a skyscraper. The original complex dated back to just after the American Civil War. It was large enough and busy enough to employ over three thousand people. But over time Villette became outdated. The new slaughterhouse, already obsolete when rebuilt in 1967, measured an astounding 900 feet long and 150 feet high (about 300 meters long and 50 meters high). Instead of tearing down the building and adding to the scandal those in power launched an international competition to design the Parc de la Villette.
The Parc de la Villette is Paris's largest park. It englobes some 135 acres (55 hectares). It is the largest Parisian greenspace after the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery in the neighboring twentieth district. Of course we can't forget the huge forest parks, the Bois de Vincennes in the southeast and the Bois de Boulogne in the west both of which are huge in comparison.
The "Prairies" are vast open spaces with an excellent view of the Canal de l'Ourcq that adds to its charm. The Prairie du Triangle near the park's center hosts regular free open-air movie screenings during the summer. Parc de la Villette has gardens like nowhere else. For example, the beautiful Jardin des Miroirs (Mirror Garden) is surrounded by 28 mirrors. The Jardin des Brouillards (Garden of the Fogs) is misty from all the rainbow-colored droplets generated by a multitude of fountains. A favorite, especially among the little ones, is the Jardin du Dragon (Dragon Garden) with a giant you know what that is about 250 feet (80 meters) long. And its tongue is a giant slide. Altogether there are ten thematic gardens linked by a winding blue path designed to look like a film strip. The bigger kids will prefer the six thousand seat Zenith concert hall which is devoted to rock music, political gatherings, and other noisy events.
The Grand Hall of Villette has now been transformed into a cultural center and performance hall. Its showpiece is the Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie (City of Science and Industry), the biggest science museum in Europe. It's also the most expensive costing an estimated $642 million back in 1986. This masterwork attracts five million visitors a year. This museum was specifically designed to be hands on, educational, and fun. There is a planetarium, an IMAX theater, and much more. The Cite des Enfants (Kiddies Corner) has exhibitions specially designed for 3 to 12 year olds.
For a change of pace visit the Cite de la Musique that's more of a concert hall than a museum. It includes the French national collection of musical instruments that you can hear in action. If you really want to get into the swing of things the world-famous Conservatoire national superieur de musique et de danse de Paris (Music and Dance Conservatory) has been relocated and faces Parc Villette. Conservatory tuition fees are very, very low and student meals are subsidized. However, there is the minor matter of a performance-based entrance exam.
Of course you don't want to be in Paris without sampling fine French wine and food. Here is a sample menu: Start with Rillions (Big chunks of Pork cooked in Pork Fat). For your second course savor Becasse fouree au Foie Gras (Woodcock stuffed with Foie Gras). And as dessert indulge yourself with Tarte Tatin (Upside down Apple Tart). Your Parisian sommelier (wine steward) will be happy to suggest appropriate wines to accompany each course. By the way, in part because of its proximity, Parisians tend to drink a lot of wine from the Loire Valley.
The 17th arrondissement of northwestern Paris is located on the Right Bank of the Seine River. Its land area is approximately 2.2 square miles (somewhat under 5.7 square kilometers.) The population is one hundred sixty thousand and the area hosts more than ninety thousand jobs. This arrondissement has a split personality. The northern sector tends to be working class and is an extension of Pigalle in the ninth district, including many red lights that aren't all traffic signals. The southern section is more upscale. Why don't you visit both areas to see which you prefer?
The Hotel Concorde La Fayette is Paris's largest hotel with more than one thousand rooms built on land that once hosted an amusement park. In the 1970s a huge conference center, the Palais des Congres de Paris arose on the complex. You'll find commercial exhibition space, TV studios, theaters, and more. The last time I checked on-line Charles Aznavour was singing at this "Palace." I never attended a concert there. And yet I am positive that it can't match ambience of the Olympia in the ninth district or Bobino in the fourteenth. I can still remember hearing Aznavour sing in the Olympia way back when.
The seventeenth arrondissement is known by the name of Batignolles-Monceau but the Parc Monceau is actually just over the border in the eighth arrondissement. By the way the eighth is known as Elysses, in honor of you know what. This beautiful Parc was established by an Eighteenth Century Duke. When he was guillotined it became public property. Parc Monceau is designed in the style of an informal English garden, somewhat unusual for France whose parks are usually more traditional. You will find mock ruins and even a fake pyramid. For those who keep track of such things, the Rotunda contains the city's finest public restroom. Towards the end of the Eighteenth Century the Parc was the site of the first silk parachute jump, appropriately enough from a Montgolfier hot air balloon.
Saturday mornings you can visit the Marche Biologique Batignolles (Batignolles Organic Market), one of two such markets in Paris. Food there is more expensive than at your run-of-the-mill Paris market but partisans will tell you that it is well worth the cost. And you can get some very unusual products such as spiky Peruvian cucumbers and Basque chili peppers. If you find food expensive at this market skip the next paragraph and go straight to the Henner Museum.
If you feel like splurging check out the Guy Savoy restaurant on the Rue du Troyon, a little street in the heart of the district. I've never been to this particular restaurant. I recently read two on-line reviews, the first was entitled Most expensive disappointment I've ever had while the second claimed Absolutely the best meal I have ever had! Be warned, you will pay $100 for a bowl of soup. This privilege requires that you reserve for dinner a month in advance. Don't bother dropping my name, even if your French is perfect and your wallet runneth over. Monsieur Savoy owns five restaurants in Paris plus a Parisian-style restaurant in Las Vegas said to come closest to European three-star dining in North America. This eatery is equipped with a one thousand bottle wine wall. (If one of those bottles should happen to fall, there'd be 999 bottles of wine on the wall.)
The Musee national Jean-Jacques Henner is dedicated to a relatively unkown Alsacian painter. You'll enjoy the setting, a quaint Nineteenth Century mansion. The way I look at it why not visit some of Paris' other museums besides those old-time favorites such as The Louvre? Paris museums are all over the place, but Henner seems to be the only museum in the seventeenth district. However, the district is said to have the most artist ateliers in the city.
Of course you don't want to be in Paris without sampling fine French wine and food. Here is a sample menu: You might want to start with Rillettes (Coarse Pork Pate). For your second course savor Lapin au Vouvray (Rabbit with Onions, Shallots, and Vouvray Wine). And as dessert indulge yourself with Tarte aux Pommes a la Confiture de Chinon (Apple Pie with Chinon Wine Jam). Your Parisian sommelier (wine steward) will be happy to suggest appropriate wines to accompany each course.
Levi Reiss has sinced written about articles on various topics from Touring Italy, Travel and Leisure and Food and Drink. Levi Reiss authored ten computer and Internet books, but would rather drink fine French, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He loves teaching computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel, w. Levi Reiss's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.