Accommodation Paris France Hotels: Is Paris’s Second Arrondissement For You?
October 11th, 2009 by Henry, under Air Travel, World Travel. No Comments
Paris: The 2nd Arrondissement
You’re nearly there – Paris, wonderful Paris! You can’t wait to land. You’ve gotten your cheap airfare to Paris, France , now you’re considering some wonderful sounding offers on Paris hotels throughout Paris. What arrondissement you are staying in is always an important consideration for evaluating Paris hotel deals even if you are looking at hotels in Paris city centre. Here’s a guide to Paris’s Second arrondissement so you can learn more about whether this neighborhood in Paris is where you want to be!
It’s not likely that you will spend alot of time in the 2nd as a tourist, but if you choose a hotel in this district, you will be in the heart of Paris’s financial and working center. Home to Paris’s Bourse (stock exchange) and the CAC 40 – France’s top listed companies, the 2nd arrondissement is also widely known for its thriving fashion and journalism industries, as well as its general atmosphere of business.
What To Expect If You’re Staying Here :
What’s Good :
You will hardly see any tourists here, meaning that the people-watching will be strictly French : Parisian business people going to lunch, stressed out traders hurrying to work, journalists meeting sources over drinks for the next big news break. You will also be close to the sublime 19th “galleries,” a tradition when the Duke of Orleans decided to rent out his garden to shops in the late eighteenth century. These “galleries,” similiar to early shopping malls, have glass windows and tiled floors, are still in operation now . Visit for a nostalgic and charming look at Paris’s 19th century past.
What’s Bad About Staying In The Second :
This is not an especially happening part of Paris by any means, and while there are quite a few places for lunch in the area , suitable for an expense account, nightlife absent . However, with the Marais in the fourth arrondissement only a few minutes away, there isn’t much to be concerned about. In addition, near the eastern end of the district, you may run into a few prostitutes looking to ply their trade, but don’t worry – it’s safe, if seedy, and nevertheless you’re likely to encounter far fewer than in similar areas like Rue St. Denis or the Pigalle area.
What To Visit:
If you’re a business type , visit the Bourse, or Stock Exchange, for a look at France’s economic heart. Or check out the Galleries – the Gallerie Vivienne is regarded the best-preserved, with authentic and stunning nineteenth-century decor, an awesome mosaic floor, and elegantly high end shops. In contrast, the Passage Choiseul is more “authentic,” catering to business folks on their way to work, and selling newspapers and offering services like shoe-shining to busy traders at the nearby Bourse.
Where To Eat:
Cafe Etienne Marcel, on Rue Etienne Marcel, is a stylish Costes brothers joint – less costly than most of their others – with a menu to match. Or have a drink or two at Harry’s New York Bar on Rue Danou, allegedly the birthplace of the Bloody Mary, and a hangout of Hemmingway. While Harry’s isn’t cheap by any means, it’s nevertheless a wonderful hangout for those wanting the elegance and decadence of Art Deco bohemian expatriate life. And, of course, a bloody Mary mixed to perfection.
Where To Shop In Paris’s Second Arrondissement :
Brentano’s, on Avenue de L’Opera offers an outstanding selection of English-language and art books. And, of course, the Galleries are filled with fascinating shops . Wander in and out of a few of the delightful galleries, looking at the many wonderful shops on offer, and think about buying art and far more at all of them.
