A stroll around the 9th

My first taste of life in Paris was centered around the 9th arrondissement, where I rented a flat on Rue des Martyrs, which is an area of Paris on the right bank just beneath Montmartre.  I loved the neighborhood and its mix of old time Parisian charm, gritty graffiti and historical glamour.  After all, this is the neighborhood that houses the Opera Garnier and the most beautiful department stores, like the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps (more on that later). 

Nowadays the 9th is awash with what the french like to call bobo's (short for “bourgeois bohémien”), people from fairly well off backgrounds who like to mix with those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and deny their ease in life.  This is shown in the proliferation of trendy boutiques, cafes and hotels (like the well known Hotel Amour).  Its that great mix of old and new that makes the neighborhood so easy to love.

This is what the french would call L’AMBIANCE

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Rue des Martyrs

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The graffiti makes me feel at home here

Ok, this is technically in the 10th, but look at this building!

There are also pretty buildings in my neighborhood!

A window display of beautiful old postage

With Parisian florists no one needs to have a garden!

Beautiful views everywhere you look

There will always be a soft spot in my heart for the 9th and I will forever remember Rue des Martyrs with the fondness I felt for 7th Street when I moved to the East Village in New York.  New cities are like new relationships and I am quickly falling head over heels with this one.


xx