Holly Go Lightly: The 11th, my home away from home

How do you describe a neighborhood so vast and eclectic as this one? I have been living in the 11th arrondissement for almost 3 weeks now and part of the reason why I haven't written much about it yet is because it isn't an easy place to summarize. Needless to say, I love the area and am very happy to be living in this section of Paris. I began to settle in and feel at home here very quickly, maybe because the neighborhood reminds me a lot of the East Village. Actually, that's a good way to start, picture the French version of the East Village and we will go from there...

I have to admit that it is sometimes difficult to compare neighborhoods in Paris to ones in New York, and I don't really like to either, but I was hit with an overwhelming sense of ease and familiarity by the 11th. It must be all the people my age hanging out in the numerous cafes, ethnic restaurants, bars and music venues- all with a very Parisian feel mixed into a grungy, up and coming neighborhood on the fringe vibe. Ah, home sweet home!

The best part about this arrondissement is that there are two distinct sides to it. There is the area to the south, around Place de la Bastille, which is a bit more touristy and well known by foreigners and then there is the area to north, around Rue Oberkampf, known for its bars and throngs of young Parisians enjoying a night on the town or a lazy afternoon on a cafe terrace. Snaking through the whole neighborhood is the tree lined Boulevard Richard Lenoir, a wide Haussmann boulevard with multiple small parks and free wifi, that holds weekly art fairs and biweekly produce markets.

I'm living in the north eastern part of the district, close to Belleville and the 20th arrondissement. The 20th is a lot more residential, but is quickly gaining popularity with younger, more artistic Parisians that have been priced out of trendy areas like the Canal St Martin in the 10th and Bastille in the 11th. Hmm...what neighborhood could that possibly remind me of back home? My street is actually a dead end, Impasse de la Baleine or Dead Whale, with a school across the street from my apartment building. When you come out of the dead end, you can walk a few blocks right (up a slight hill), past a few cafes and even more Muslim shops, to the metro station or a few blocks left, past many bars and cafes, towards Boulevard Richard Lenoir.

Here are some pictures to go with my rambling description