We are planning ahead for our 1st trip tp Paris Mar %26#39;08. Of course, we want a taste of everything...staying first half at the Marriott Ren. Vendomme on the right bank and now considering either a studio in Marais or Residence Henri IV in the 5th on the left...all three have good locations, two w/kitchen facilities. Any thoughts on neighborhoods, cafes, etc.?
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Residence Henri IV is near Place Monge and the area is quite nice with easy access to the Left Bank, Saint Germain, etc. In Paris, cafes are everywhere, but close to the Residence Henri iV, you will find the rue Mouffetard and the Place de Contrescarpe which will be a memorable location for cafes.
The Marais is very nice also. Lots of cafes around Place des Vosges and on the rue vieille du temple. It will all come down to personal taste, as both areas are more or less central and within easy access to tourist attractions.
I think an American (like me) visiting paris for the first time would probably identify more with the 5th. I say that having lived in the 5th near rue Mouffetard and in the Marais near rue de Turenne.
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I appreciate your opinion--particularly since I am working from sq. one.
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Of the two my preference would *probably* be for the apartment in the Marais. I think it will give you just a slightlly better feel of a less touristy Paris neighbourhood. A lot depends on the exact location in the Marais of the studio you are thinking of. T
here are more pleasant cafés and good restaurants in every price range in the Marais than you could possibly sample in six months. Food shops of every kind abound along the major shopping streets such as the rue St. Antoine and the area is filled with interesting shops, boutiques and galleries.
There is a current thread on the topic of things to see in the Marais. It should be on one of the first two or three pages. You might take a look t it. It specifically does not mention all of the museums in the Marais such as the Picasso and the Arts et Métiers which deserves to be much better known than it is.
www.parismarais.com
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..First trip to Paris? Unless a long one, I would stick to a hotel unless traveling with family or have specific needs. I really think for a first trip it is nicer to have some concierge/ front desk back up. You are staying at aMarriott for the first half, why not a small 2- 3* for the second on the L bank given the location of your first hotel?
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I probably should clarify that the Marais studio in question does have concierge services provided by small hotel nearby....
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As irish Rover pointed out, the location of the marais studio will make a big difference. Parts of the Marais are extremely touristy, much more so than the part of the 5th where the Hotel Henri IV is located.
In any event, in March you won%26#39;t see an overwhelming number of tourists anywhere and since you are there for the first time, you will probably actively seek out tourist locations.
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There are actually two studios being considered in Marais --one on Place du Marche Ste. Catherine and another on 16 rue Charlemagne..if that helps at all. Thanks!
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Place du marché Ste Catherine is an excellent location. I remember the first time I found that square by accident when i was visiting paris. I spent a few days looking for it again. There are several nice cafes and restaurants with outdoor terraces. It would be a good base for exploring the Marais, you can walk to the Louvre or across the river to Saint Germain in about 20 minutes (or you are about 4 metro stops away).
The other area, where rue Charlemagne is, I%26#39;ve always found a bit depressing. I don%26#39;t know why...anyway, i would say that place du marché st c and Hotel Henri IV are a toss up and your decision should rest on what you really want to do. If you like walking and exploring, choose the marais. If you want shopping, cafes, restaurants and picturesque Paris choose the 5th. You can find all of these things in either neighborhood, so in the end it will come down to personal preferences.
Maybe you should take a guidebook, list all the things you want to do and choose the location that gives you the best access. Of course, if you are going to be out and about all the time, maybe the residence hotel is better than the apartment!
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As usual, IrishRover has provided a great help!!! He provided a link that I just looked at on the Marais..I found, on the map there, the exact spot where our apartment is located (on rue des Vertus) and can now begin to better acclimate myself with restuarants that have been mentioned on this forum....Thanks, Irish, you have been a great help and provided lots of useful info for my preparation for our trip in June.
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The kind words are much appreciated, rudyjane, and you are most welcome!
I think we have discussed the Place du Marché Ste. catherine location at some length already. IMO it is as close to ideal as you can get in the central arrondissements.
I know what prahaman means about rue Richelieu, though I don%26#39;t find it depressing. It is kind of quiet though compared to the streets just a block or two away in any direction. Mostly I think that is just because there is less in the way of commerce on the street — hardly any shops other than one or two antique dealers and only one café/restaurant that I can think of. The plaque on the courtyard wall of the Lycée Richelieu should not be missed however
One thing you might do is go to the French yellow pages site. Fill in the address of any place you are interested in and you can then call up a photograph of the building and, using the navigation arrows, take a virtual %26quot;walk%26quot; around the neighbourhood. Many of th photos are pretty old and in my experience most places in Paris look better %26quot;in the stone%26quot; so to speak than they do on Pages Jaunes but it is a very useful resource nonetheless: http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/pj.cgi?lang=en
The web site rudyjane mentioned is this one: www.parismarais.com
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