Monday, January 6, 2014

From Place To Space: Morning In The 20th Arrondissement In Paris



Hello my dear readers! I am back after a wonderful time in Paris and brought back loads of pictures of the ever inspiring City of Lights. Many of you know that I am a frequent traveler to Paris and no matter how often I travel to Paris I am always enchanted by the fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower, the magic of Sacré-Coeur and Montmartre and the timeless beauty of the Louvre. But I dearly love the areas of Paris that are off the beaten path. The parts of Paris that are actually devoid of tourists and the regular habitat of locals. Like the 20th arrondissement in the east of Paris.



In fact, I have my second home in the 20th arrondissement in Paris which is why I love this quarter in particular. It is comprised of an area called Belleville and Ménilmontant, both of which used to be villages at the eastern outskirts of Paris thus not even belonging to the city itself. Over time as the city grew, this areas have been included in the city borders and made the 20th arrondissement.



The charms of this part of Paris is that you can actually still see that formerly this used to be villages. There are many hidden corners in the 20th arrondissement: Secret passages, cobbled streets, small houses, hidden courtyards, many of the houses there have even got a garden - a real rarity in Paris! I have even discovered a garden with ripe kiwis - probably the only ones in Paris. But this arrondissement has become as urban and cosmopolitan as the rest of the city, too. Big boulevards, great shopping opportunities, a very mixed population and an authenticity that I sometimes miss in those central, touristic areas of Paris. Oh, and one of the greatest French stars was from this very corner of Paris: The one and only Edith Piaf was born in Belleville.




I walked around Belleville and Ménilmontant on a overcast Tuesday morning and took pictures on the way. I walked through many quiet, almost empty alleys and wondered who lived in those small houses facing cobbled streets, having little gardens and courtyards. And yes, I was dreaming how it would be to own such a small house in the big city. Maybe this would be the best combination: A big city life in your own little village atmosphere. Moreover, the 20th arrondissement is trending right now - various corners in Belleville and Ménilmontant have become the new hip neighborhoods with great bars, restaurants, galleries and ateliers. I hope this will inspire you too and if you ever want to visit those corners of Paris, feel free to drop me an email!


Photography by Igor Josifovic, map via Wikipedia, skyline silhouette via In Transition

25 comments :

  1. You may call me absolutely bonkers but I really dislike Paris for many reasons. But this post is so lovely and quaint. Love all the pastel pops of colour!! I really have to explore more of the city to give it another chance. Thank you Igor x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad I could help to slightly change your opinion about Paris:-) After all, it is my favorite city!

      Delete
  2. Beuatiful photos and inform about Paris city. Thank you so much Igor.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very nice post. Lovely photos. Thank xx
    2moiselles

    ReplyDelete
  4. J'aime tes photos, qui font vraiment ressortir à merveille l'ambiance de ce quartier de Paris!

    ReplyDelete
  5. J'adore ce reportage. Je ne pensais qu'il pouvait y avoir des coins aussi champêtres à l'intérieur même de paris.
    Have a nice day :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Superbe! Very nice pics my friend. It was great meeting yesterday.
    Elodie

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely light photos of Paris! I'm a sucker for words like 'secret' and 'hidden', sparks my rebellious personality ;) Also thanks for the tips! Would definitely have a look with my next visit!

    ReplyDelete
  8. magnifique ce petit reportage … on s'y croirait presque! welcome back home and see you in Paris end of January :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful photos! You transported me to Paris for a moment. There is so much beauty around us, if we could only see it...Thanks to blog posts like this one, we do :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wunderschöne Fotos Igor <3 Jetzt vermisse ich Paris wieder noch mehr! Aber dafür gehts bei mir am Donnerstag Richtung Belgrad :)

    Liebster Gruss, Sara

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Danke Dir! Vergiss nicht ein paar schöne Fotos zu machen!! Viel Spaß & srecan badnji dan!

      Delete
  11. I love it ... in every city of our world there is some kind of such beauty .....question is if you could find it ...you did the great job !!!!greetings

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh wie schön!!!! Ich war viel viel viel zu lange nicht mehr dort!!!! Danke fürs zeigen!!!! Liebe Grüße

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have never been to this part of Paris so thank you for talking a walk with your camera and sharing. I was daydreaming about France today ... I was just a bit further south ;-)

    I hope the new year is treating you well after a festive NYE in the City of Lights. Happy New Year, again!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh Igor, this post and your fabulous photos is making my heart ache for Paris! The 20e has gotten so great. When I lived in Paris it was eh. I am hoping to return again this year.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I find no right words for such beautiful places and pictures. Damn amazing! Share your love for Paris although I just have been there twice… hope to get there soon again… julia

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh Igor, this pictures are so inviting. This neighborhood looks truly charming. Hope to make it one day to Paris. Don't say anything... No I haven't been to Paris. :/

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ohhh... ces quartiers parisiens un peu moins connus sont tellement charmants ♥ Merci pour ces belles photos! A très vite... à Paris!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh, so wundervolle Bilder. Ich muss unbedingt mal wieder nach Paris. Hast du vielleicht Tipps, wo man gut & günstig wohnen kann? LG I.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Indre! Danke für den netten Kommentar! Also ich war jetzt im Januar mal im Hotel Mama Shelter essen - das sieht ziemlich cool aus, auch wenn es ein klein wenig ab vom Schuss ist (ist aber im 20. Arrondissement). Ansonsten empfehle ich airbnb - da gibt es echt sehr nette Angebote zu fairen Preisen.

      Delete
  19. Mein Gott, die Bilder sind ein Traum. Ich erinnere mich unheimlich gerne an meine Au-Pair Zeit in dieser inspirierenden Stadt. Ich möchte unbedingt bald zurückkehren, und dann ist ein Abstecher in dieses Viertel definitiv auf der Liste. Vielen Dank fürs Zeigen, Igor !
    Katinka

    ReplyDelete
  20. I have yet to truly wander those streets...great captures of an enchanting area Igor!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ah, Paris steals everyone's heart!
    Of course, had to laugh out loud at Yvonne's comment:-)

    Beautifully captured! Didn't know you guys live in the 20th.. definitely one to explore.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...