Paris: Travel local by getting to know a neighborhood
(ARA) - Paris is arranged like a seashell, whirling outward in a spiral from two islands in the Seine (Ile de la Cite and Ile St. Louis). It grew incrementally, adding neighborhood next to neighborhood, connected by a warren of medieval streets that can be mystifying (when you get lost) or enchanting (when you're happy to be lost). Many of Paris' neighborhoods retain unique characteristics, some of which aren't any more tangible than a "feel," but getting to know them helps shrink the scale of this legendary city.
The neighborhoods, called "arrondissements" are identifiable in two ways: Parisians know them by number, while much of the rest of the world calls them by names. For instance, the 18th is also Montmartre (home to the Sacre Coeur basilica). Some of the neighborhoods are more tourist-oriented than others, and it's up to you what kind of feel you want. Paris hotels come in every shape and size, and though they're never exactly cheap, you can find some good values.
The Marais actually covers two arrondissements, the third and the fourth, which gives it a couple of different aspects. There is a more classic character in the third arrondisement (also known as the upper Marais) which is largely ungentrified, and the fourth (the lower Marais) is known for being hip and on the cutting edge, thanks to its shops and restaurants.
Whether you stay in the third or fourth, by being in the Marais, you have the opportunity to check into some truly unique Paris hotels. A great example is the Hotel du Petit Moulin, a former boulangerie in a 17th century building that was transformed into one of the hottest hotels in the city when Christian LaCroix redesigned the interior in haute couture style. Nearby sights include the Musee Carnavalet (the museum devoted to Paris itself), Place des Vosges and Centre Pompidou (one of the world's leading contemporary art museums and worth a visit for the building itself).
The 6th arrondissement is commonly known as St. Germain because of the abbey church of St. Germain des Pres, which has long been a focal point of the area. It is one of the oldest churches in Paris; there has been some sort of church on the spot since the 6th century, though most of the still-standing structure dates from the 12th century. The character of the neighborhood has also long been colored by intellectual exploration - the Sorbonne is here, and its cafes, like Cafe de Flor and Les Deux Magots, were hangouts for luminaries like Sartre, Hemingway and de Beauvoir.
If you're looking for Paris hotels with historical character, look no further. You'll find quirk and luxury in equal measure at the small and glamorous (though succinctly named) L'Hotel. Oscar Wilde famously spent his last days here, alternately disparaging the wallpaper and cracking bon mots to the very end. Every room is decorated differently, and there is a lovely restaurant and an exotic hammam pool.
If you're after a taste of workaday Parisian life, try one of the more residential arrondissements. Paris hotels are available in every neighborhood, and you might even find a better deal in one of the less-visited areas. Montparnasse, the 14th arrondissement, doesn't go out of its way to be a tourist haven, but it's a wonderful place to see a different side of Paris.
Choose a small hotel like the clean, comfortable and affordable Hotel Mistral, located on a side street, and you'll feel like a local. Jog around the corner to the Rue Daguerre (the hotel concierge will be happy to point the way), a pedestrian market street where you can pick up every necessity of life, or take an underground tour of the nearby Catacombs for an unusual experience.
When you start considering your trip to Paris, think about the kind of experience you want - hip, trendy, historic, laid back or otherwise - and start planning your neighborhood experience with the help of travel Web sites like Travelocity.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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