I'm In Love With The 10th!

A Lock on the Canal Saint Martin

The 10th arrondissement, that is!

The 10th used to be industrial, off the beaten path, only some place you went to get to the Gare de Nord or Gare d'Est. It was kind of dirty, working class, not pretty.Except for the Canal Saint Martin with it's bridges.

Once, when I lived in Paris in the 1980s, I wandered up there. I was totally outside of my 7th arrondissement comfort zone. I had been working for a Countess and my best (only) friend was also a Countess, though I never let on I knew!

While I'd grown accustomed to the chic little boutiques selling to the barely surviving aristocratic class, this seemed strange and wonderful. Even I could afford to buy something here. People were selling food selling outside of the stores and people dressed normally - as in NOT in Hermes and Dior!

Why I didn't go back again, I'll never know. I was 23 and who knows what was in my head!

Music on a Friday Night

I just remembered that I loved it and felt that sense of discovery. I was also amazed that my Countess friend had brought me here, but we were going to rue de Paradis to see the advertising museum - which was fabulous. Later, in 1992 when I was in Paris with my husband, we wandered Paris looking for this street and museum, only to find it just as they were packing the museum up to move it into a separate wing of the Louvre building.

Many years later, I was desperate to find an apartment that would fit my family. I once again found myself in the 10th. For two weeks we lived there and now it's "my" neighborhood. It's become chic, young, and bo-ho - unlike in the 1980s.

An Awesome Cheese Store

Fun and Diversity in the 10th

As I pack my suit cases for another 2 week trip, I just can't wait to "go home." I can't wait to explore the new little restaurants with reasonable prices, the romantic nooks and crannies, and explore the neighborhoods just a bit further out and off the tourist beaten track. This will be my third time in this same neighborhood and this time just my husband and me again.

Not Dirty, Dark, and Dingy Anymore!

The one thing we will probably NOT be doing is having romantic strolls in the evening along the Canal Saint Martin. I've timed it all wrong and our trip is smack in the middle of the three month cleaning and repairing of the canal. C'est la vie.

So much to discover in Paris, even after 11 previous visits!!

Need help planning a trip to Paris of your own? Visit ParisMadeSimple and I can help!