Tour de France: Paris, 17ème – Sugar Daze

As our "Tour de France" continues, today we head to the "upper West side," if you will, to the 17th arrondissement of Paris (75017) with Cat Beurnier. Cat brings a bit of joy to Paris each day with her American-style cupcakes, otherwise known as Sugar Daze (available for order online). I love Cat's passion for her neighborhood, and she does an amazing job of giving us a virtual tour today. Read on!


From Cat: I was really excited when Anne asked me to write a guest post about my neighborhood, the 17th.I’ve been living here for almost 8 years and have come to truly love my little corner of Paris. It’s relatively quiet as far as neighborhoods go – we’re far from the hustle and bustle of touristy St Germain or St Michel on the left bank, and don’t exactly exude the cool ‘tude you find on the East side of Paris in the perennially hip Marais or bohemian 10^th/Canal St Martin area. No, the 17th is a mostly calm, family neighborhood, similar to the sleepy Upper West Side area of my hometown: Manhattan. The 17th is comprised of two relatively different neighborhoods which are ironically separated by the train tracks leading into Gare St. Lazare.One one side, there’s the Plaine Monceau which boasts wide tree-filled avenues, ornately sculpted, grand Haussmannian buildings and the lush Parc Monceau at its border. And then there’s the younger, grittier side which is commonly referred to as Batignolles. This is an area that is slowly becoming gentrified – you’ll find a lot of small, narrow streets here with all sorts of quirky boutiques and ethnic pockets as you make your way towards the 17th border at Avenue de Clichy.

Since I work with food, one of the highlights of the 17^th for me is the abundance of open-air markets. These are my absolute favorite places to shop for everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to wine, cheese, chocolates, meat and specialty items. My favorite is found on la rue Poncelet where you can find all of the above including an amazing Italian food store called Del’Italy which offers dozens of freshly prepared Italian dishes and home-made pasta as well as an épicerie with a wide selection of imported dry goods from Italy. There’s also a German specialty take-out store called Epicurya, where you will find everything from marinated herring and freshly made horseradish to the house specialty: choucroute garnie, and several varieties of sausage. At lunch-time, these are served from the sidewalk terrace in fresh poppy-seed baguettes with your choice of sweet or savory mustard, several different spices and sautéed onions. Also of note in the area is la rue Levis, another open-air market; and the Marché Biologique de Batignollles. As its name implies, this farmer’s market offers exclusively 100% organic goods. It stretches several blocks down the Boulevard de Batignolles and is only set-up on Saturdays.

Just up the street, on the corner of Poncelet and Avenue des Ternes is Café Dada. This is the local hang-out for hipsters of all ages. Popular for any-time-of-day coffee or beer, and after-work drinks, it’s one of the few establishments in the area where you will find a lively crowd day or night, even on Sundays. We are partial to Le Millesimes, on nearby rue de Courcelles, for its eclectic menu of salads, tartines, starters like millefeuille of tomato and mozzarella, nems, charcuterie and cheese platter, and a host of more classic bistro fare like tartare, côte de bœuf poêlée et carré d'agneau rôti aux herbes et gratin dauphinois . Having profited from a recent face-lift, this café a vins also attracts an after-work crowd as well as a mix of shoppers pausing for a leisurely meal in-between purchases on the tony rue de Courcelles, and the shopgirls that wait on them. Also noteworthy in the area is Flute, the intimate Parisian arm of the same-named champagne bar in NY; Meating, one of Paris’ few authentic steakhouses; and the Michelin 1-starred L’Agapé.

Two of my favorite neighborhood shops are La Chaise Longue (one of several outlets in Paris) and Pyramide. The former is found on Avenue de Ternes and offers a large selection of colorful and kitschy kitchen and tablewares, small electrics and original sometimes impractical gadgets such as an automated shoe polisher or a plexi-glass cereal distributor which holds up to 5 different types of cereal! Pyramide, on Avenue Wagram, proposes a mix of vintage-inspired serving pieces, furniture and home accessories. It’s my first stop when I need a hostess gift or a small trinket for a friend’s birthday. The owner, well-known at the local flea markets and vide greniers, stocks all sorts of original rare finds and so on any given day, you’ll find items such as Coca-Cola fountain glasses from the ‘40’s or a 5-foot tall forged metal birdcage to fragrant candles and potpourri sachets from the South of France and souvenir kitchen towels printed with the names/images of local vineyards.

A trip through the 17^th wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the Parc Monceau which in my opinion is one of the standouts of the neighborhood. Since I have two young children, not a day goes by that I don’t pass through this parc whose origins date back to 1769. Covering a space of just over 20 acres and bridging the 8^th and 17^th arrondissements, it is famous as being the landing point of the first parachutist in world history. At one point, it housed a windmill, a minaret, a pyramid, a Chinese pagoda, a Roman temple, a waterfall and the "Naumachie" which is a duck pond half-encircled by broken Corinthian columns. Most of these architectural features remain today. It was one of the original landscaped gardens in Paris, and unusual in that it copied the English-style gardens. Great care is taken to maintain the beauty and splendor of its many fields, statues, plants and trees (in fact the parc contains some of the tallest trees in Paris). It’s the perfect spot for a leisurely stroll, a summertime picnic, a get-together with friends or an outing with the kids. The parc offers a newly-installed old-fashioned carrousel, free Wi-Fi, a sandpit and playground, swings, a terrain for skaters, a kiosque selling light bites, ice cream, Belgian waffles, etc., and pony-rides for kids on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Thanks Anne for giving me this opportunity to tell you and your readers a little bit about the 17^th arrondissement. I hope I’ve piqued your interest and look forward to seeing some of you stopping through soon!

Worth checking out in the 17th:

• Del’Italy, (store at 21 rue Poncelet, restaurant at 23 rue Poncelet)
• Epicurya, 10 rue Poncelet
• Café dada, 16 Avenue des Ternes
• Le Millesimes, 110 rue de Courcelles
• La Chaise Longue, 43 Avenue des Ternes
• Pyramide, 87 Avenue de Wagram
• Le Parc Monceau, main entrances located on Boulevard de Courcelles, la rue de Courcelles, Boulevard Malesherbes and Avenue de Ruysdael.
  

Thanks, Cat!
Guest post by Sugar Daze.
@sugar_daze on Twitter

Tour de France: Paris, 6ème – Jesus Year Project

Some may see turning 30th as a major turning point, but for American Jenny Sundel, 33 is her "Jesus Year." Determined to do something different and make it special, Jenny quit her job as an entertainment reporter in LA and up and moved to Paris. She documents life on her blog aptly named Jesus Year Project as a year of self-discovery, adventure, palindromes and Paris. I'm am also in complete awe of Jenny as she managed to get invited to Dîner en Blanc her first year in Paris - très jalouse! Don't miss more from the 'Tour de France' of Parisian neighborhoods here.
Worth checking out in the 6th:

• cafe (for play): les deux magots, 6 place st germain des prés. if it was good enough for sartre...
• cafe (for work): cafe mabillon, 164 boulevard saint germain. wifi, late hours, and flirty waiters. need i say more?
• eat: l'alcazar, 62 rue mazarine. check out the cool photographs on the wall. and the lounge on the first level.
• drink: prescription cocktail club, 23 rue mazarine. come for the well-mixed libations. stay for the awesome hat lamp.
• shop: heimstone, 23 rue du cherche-midi. edgy, yet feminine wares that could break the bank, displayed amid adorable vintage decor. conveniently located on my street so i can visit my (i wish) combat boots daily.

Thanks, Jenny!
Guest post by Jesus Year Project
@jesusyear on Twitter

Tour de France: Paris, 10ème – Invisible Paris

Today our 'Tour de France' continues to a neighboring arrondissement, the 10th (75010) with Adam Roberts of Invisible Paris acts as our guide. Adam has a knack for getting under the city's skin and finding things you wouldn't know about unless you were looking. Today he shows me a whole new side of the 10th that I haven't seen either!

p.s. I'm sad to be missing it this year but the Chasse aux Tressors is happening in Paris on July 2nd. It's a scavenger hunt "race" that helps you discover some of Paris's neighborhoods!

{Rue Faubourg du Temple}

Adam: I don’t live in the 10th arrondissement, but each time I look out of my apartment I see it in front of me. I live on its periphery, but it’s where I buy my daily bread and where I get my medicine when I’m sick.

{Musée des Moulages}

It is also a constant theme in my Paris narrative. It was the first arrondissement in which I spent a night, nearly twenty years ago, in a no-star hotel run by Slovakians. All I remember of the place is that I managed to lock myself inside the bathroom, but it also gave me a taste for an idiosyncratic Paris that I think the 10th arrondissement encapsulates.

It has no touristic sites to speak of beyond the recently gentrified Canal Saint Martin, but even that was previously known for its industrial sites and the floating headless corpse investigated by Maigret. It’s mostly scruffy, including the wonderfully ungroomed Place Sainte Marthe. The restaurants and cafes here are essential places to hang out on warm summer evenings, and if you have kids, all the better.

{Musée des moulages, avenue de Vellefaux, porte 14, secteur gris, 75010 Paris}

For me, it’s also an arrondissement synonymous with hospitals. Saint Louis with its grassy Henri IV courtyard and creepy museum of wax casts, Lariboisière and its secret symmetrical interiors and Saint Lazare, now closed down and being renovated, but with centuries of disturbing tales still dripping from its walls.
Flanked also by two train stations, it is a working arrondissement which is not afraid to present its façade of iron and stone. With very little greenery to speak of, it is particularly nice to take a drink under the trees in the garden of the café at the Maison de l’Architecture. Even here though, the distressed interiors of this former convent (and former squat) soon bring us back to the mineral realities of this atypical arrondissement.


Thanks, Adam!
Guest post by Invisible Paris.
@INVISIBLEPARIS on Twitter

Tour de France: Paris, 11ème – Lost in Cheeseland

{Les Petites Indécises}

After taking a look at the 9th, 20th, 14th and 5th, today we head towards the north east side of Paris where Lindsey of Lost in Cheeseland shows us around her neighborhood, 75011. Lindsey is an incredible resource for all things French, Paris and expat. As an American married to a Frenchman she's experienced the city from all sides and shares her knowledge on her blog, and on Twitter. Here's Lindsey!
When I first met my husband, he was already living in the Oberkampf area of the 11th. For a newcomer to Paris, the neighborhood seemed kind of like Brooklyn at the time - hipster, a little edgy, a balanced mix of cultures and more affordable housing. I resented the fact that we were far from the areas of the city that was of most interest to me at the time, notably the left bank, and therefore spent little time unveiling my quartier's many layers. Well, aside from Bastille. Rue de la Roquette is appealing to young people (troublemakers included) with its endless rows of bars, restaurants, and even a few clubs. It's loud, dirty and swarming with people at all hours of the day - all things I found exciting at first. But the novelty waned and I began to open my eyes to what was immediately around me. Since then, my part of the 11th (Oberkampf/Parmentier) has evolved greatly - we've got Le Chateaubriand, Le Dauphin, Al Taglio, Jeanne A, Soya, La Bague de Kenza, Café Charbon and my favorite local café, Les Petites Indécises. In close proximity to the Canal St. Martin and the Marais, it's the perfect spot for me. That said, virtually all of my photos are of this end of the 11th as I venture rarely to the Bastille/Ledru Rollin side. I assure you, my village-like neighborhood has plenty to offer with few, if any, tourists.
Slightly retro building, green terraces look almost like elevators.
The freshly renovated Le Floréal, Mondrian style façade with matching wicker chairs. Unfortunately, the burger seems to have gotten a makeover as well but not for the better.

Looking up – Haussmannian architecture, crisp blue sky, avenue Parmentier.

Looking down my 5th floor apartment, stunning rays of sunlight post rainshower, just below is my favorite bakery. Incredibly retro on the outside and inside but the best multi-grain bread selection in the 11th.

Grilled swordfish at Les Petites Indécises

Les Petites Indécises - one of my favorite local cafés/restaurants. I go there not only to nurse a cup of tea, people watch and read on the terrace but for the more original lunch and dinner menu as well. They serve a nice brunch with a more affordable breakfast option if you're not hungry enough for the 20€ fixed menu.
Quirky detail: ceramic tiles, usually pacman, smattered throughout the city. (Editor's note: Space Invaders!)
Favorite place for a drink: Jeanne A - the gourmet épicerie from the Astier family is the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine with one of their many cheeses on offer or even for a coffee and sweet treat. I've also gotten their chicken and gratin dauphinois to-go and it makes a much more balanced meal than baguette and cheese :)


Thanks, Lindsey!
Guest post by Lost in Cheeseland
@Lostncheeseland on Twitter

Tour de France: Paris 5ème - Elena Rossini

{Square Vernemouze}

When Italian film maker Elena Rossini first moved to Paris, the 5th arrondissement became her home. Today she gives us a beautiful tour of 75005, on our continued look at the city through the eyes of bloggers. La Mosquée will always be one of my favorite escapes in the city, where it feels like you're in Morocco, while still in the heart of the city, so I'm happy to see it made her list, along with some new-to-me spots. P.S. Elena just launched a new Kickstarter campaign for her documentary The Illusionists, looking at the commodification of body image in the media - find out more HERE!

{2 Place du Puits de l'Ermite: The entrance to the Grande Mosquée de Paris (Great Mosque of Paris). It's the largest mosque in France and the third largest in Europe. Its rooms and gardens are absolutely stunning. If you walk around to the other entrance (at 39 Rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire), you'll find a restaurant, a tearoom, an hammam, and a souk (store). I would skip the restaurant and enjoy delicious pastries and mint tea in the outdoor tearoom. You'd feel transported to a foreign place.}
{Jean Calvin – Hitchcock's stencil is by graffiti artist Jef Aerosol. The streets near Rue Mouffetard are adorned with many stencils by renowned artists like Jef, Miss.Tic, Jérôme Mesnager, and Blek le Rat.}

{Le Champo, 51 Rue Ecoles – A cult movie theatre that was frequented by nouvelle vague directors in the 1960s. It holds restrospectives of art house films and is known for its all night screenings on Saturday nights – three films, plus breakfast – for 15 Euros.}

{Rooftops – You can spot the Sacre Coeur in the distance.}

{Sugarplum Cake Shop, 68 rue du Cardinal Lemoine – cinnamon bun & iced tea}

{Rue Moufftard – One of Paris' oldest streets, it's 650 metres long.}

{This picture, taken on Rue Mouffetard, is pretty representative of the style of the 5th arrondissement: casual and laid back.}
{Galerie de l'Evolution, 57 Rue Cuvier – The Galerie de l'Evolution, inside the National Museum of Natural History.}

Worth checking out in the 5th:

• To Eat: Korean restaurant Miam Miam, 6 rue Thouin
• To Drink: Cave la Bourgogne, square Saint Medard
• Cafe: Sugarplum Cake Shop, 68 rue du Cardinal Lemoine
• Favorite shop: Shakespeare and Company bookshop, 37 Rue Bûcherie

Thanks, Elena!
Guest post by Elena Rossini. Support her latest project on Kickstarter HERE!
@_Elena, @NCYW & @illusionists on Twitter