Making Paris Your Own

There’s a Paris everyone sees, and the off-the-beaten path city. Every tourist and business traveler should definitely get an overview of the must-see landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysées, the Invalides, the Place de la Concorde and the list goes on and on. But there’s so much more to the City of Light than those famous must-sees.   In order to really get to know Paris, people should also take to the streets and to the metros and buses. But walking is by far the best way to explore the City of Light and is the only way to appreciate the interiors of Paris’s sixteen major parks and cemeteries located throughout the city. Identify a specific interest: If you like gardens and appreciate different types of vegetation and horticultural wonders, head for the Luxembourg Gardens, Père Lachaise (the largest outdoor space in the entire city and happens to be one of world’s most famous cemeteries), the Bois de Vincennes, the Tuileries, the Bois de Boulogne, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Parc Monceau to name just a few. If the weather is good and you have children in tow, these are the ideal destinations. European parks are so different than ones in the US. For those who want a great tour, Bonjour Paris recommends  City Tour, where you can see a lot of the key monuments and eat at a restaurant from on high in the tallest building in Montparnasse.  If you’re an architecture buff, expect to be in overload.  The city is proverbial eye candy for those interested in design and most especially, planning through the ages. Invest in a copy of Eyewitness Travel Guide to Paris. This book is one of the best when it comes to mapping out and explaining the architecture of this city that was originally constructed by the Parisi Tribe. After the Romans occupied Gaul, they expanded the (then) town and named it Lutetia. Paris is home to so many deferring styles of building: art deco, Medieval, Renaissance, and Haussman to today’s modern – including examples of hyper-modern such as the Beaubourg at the Centre Pompidou.  Paris’s numerous bridges are history unto themselves. Isn’t it ironic that the Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge connecting the Right and Left Banks of the Seine which dissects the city? Shopping is another reason people come to Paris. My bible is Suzy Gershman’s Born to Shop Paris. Not only does the “shopping goddess” (that’s what’s her business card says) tell you where to get the best buys and which shops are where, “Born to Shop” is also a quasi guide book with observations about the cities where she shops. Some may be cultural while others are tips about where to eat and not – and what do see and do. Ms. Gershman’s passion is shopping, but she’s not oblivious to the fact there are so many other things that make up a city. Traveling the world with Suzy and her series isn’t a bad way to go to acquire a new and fresh perspective that many travel writers let fall by the wayside. One of the ways I like exploring Paris is by purchasing a one day metro/bus pass and hopping on and off subways and buses. When I first arrived in Paris, I did that frequently. More than once, I was so lost I thought I was buried in a maze and might never get home. Keep in mind you’re rarely more that a five-minute walk between one metro and another and the underground distance between each stop is only a minute. Going from one neighborhood to another can mean going from one country to another.  North Africa, India, China, Vietnam, Turkey not to negate France.  Every arrondissement differs from the other and each has a distinct feeling. Some (such as the 16th and 17th arrondissements may be subtle) but they are real. As is true in all major cities, Paris is always changing.  Because of the finite amount of land in Paris proper, areas are becoming yuppified. What is here today may not have been here a couple of years ago and certain neighborhoods (e.g. the Canal St. Martin in the 10th arrondissement) have been converted from out-of the-way neighborhoods to the “in” places to buy and renovate.  By the time most foreigners get the idea – the area’s real estate prices have more than likely already shot up in value so as to no longer be under priced. Many Parisians are so ethnocentric that there’s an old story.  An older Parisian resident of Montmartre said to his friend, “Tomorrow, I’m going into Paris.”  C’est la vie. © Karen Fawcett