What To Do In Paris

What should you do in Paris? It's study abroad season and enquiring minds want to know. I've been asked several times, and volunteered my opinions several more.

For people coming for a weekend or a study abroad break, I would recommend doing, seeing, and trying to eat at these things:

First, know that Paris is broken into districts called arrondissements. They are set up like a snail shell unwinding from the islands in the Seine, and most people can tell a lot about someone by where they live. Arrondissements 1-8 or so are very nice. I lived in 10, which is very funky and cool, but can be a bit "alternative", like Brooklyn back in the day. 18 is Montmartre, the northern, hilly part of the city. Parts of it are really nice-- there are some great places to go out around there.

Locals bars:
Where mostly French people go, might be harder if you don't speak French. The people tend to be cooler and the boys are better looking.
-Chez Justine and Charbon, at 100 Oberkampf (metro stop: Parmentier). Charbon has a dance floor and closes at 4, so it's nice to get some drinks at one of the chill bars and then go dancing after. The club at number 100 is called Nouveau Casino and is supposed to be cool when they aren't having a concert.
-Any bars on the rue de Lappe and around the Bastille area (metro stop: Bastille). You can find a lot of "themed" bars here, like Brazilian, Cuban, and expensive cocktail bars.

Ex-pat and English-speaking bars:
Mostly Brits, Aussies, and French people who speak English.
-O'Sullivans (metro stop: Blanche). There are a few in this chain, but this one is right next to the Moulin Rouge. There's a big dance floor in the back, and it's very fun on weekends. Drunk American tourists freaking out about being at the Moulin Rouge? Hilarious. Bonus: all-night sex shops.
-Fubar, where they have excellent cosmos and student night is either Tuesday or Thursday. (metro: Odéon)

Clubs you have to pay to get into on weekends:
Usually free or cheaper during the week, and have happy hour until 1am.
-Duplex (metro stop: Charles De Gaulle-Etoile). Right by the Arc de Triomphe, has three dance rooms and they always play R&B, which is rare in Paris
-Barrio Latino, a huge Cuban club and bar (metro stop: Bastille)

Food:
-get crêpes on the street in Saint-Michel, directly south of Notre Dame (metro: Saint-Michel or Odéon). It's really touristy at night, but the crêpes are seriously bomb and not too expensive. If you want a full, sit-down meal, go to the Odéon stop and find a crêperie and get salée (savory) and sucrée (sugary) crêpes with cidre.
-a morning croissant or pain au chocolat (a croissant with a slightly melted chocolate bar inside) from a patisserie.
-a really fun fondue place in Montmartre is called Le Refuge des Fondues... you eat fondue and drink wine out of baby bottles. They always have Americans there, so they speak English, but the food is still really good. After dinner, go find some Amélie sights, like the Deux Moulins.
-If you have parents in town, get them to treat you at the Hotel du Nord. (metro: Gare de l'Est, and then get directions on the street). It's incredibly delicious food, the restaurant is in a famous '30s movie, and it's right on the Canal Saint-Martin. My home!
(there are a lot of other good bars and restaurants over here, but it's not for non-speakers, unless you feel brave and/or are ready to be mocked a bit)
-Get ice cream by Berthillon on the Ile Saint-Louis, right behind Notre Dame

Sight-seeing:
-Arguably the best view of the Place de la Concorde is from the metro stairs on the farthest north-east end; ask where the Tuileries stop is, and walk that way. Then stop before you turn onto the Rue de Rivoli. Magic.
-The cheapest and best views of Paris aren't from the Eiffel Tower (but you probably should do that if you never have)... you can get great ones from the top of Galleries Lafayette (metro: Opéra) or the bar at the top of the Musée Pompidou (metro: Hotel de Ville and follow the signs)
-The Père Lachaise cemetery is a really peaceful place to go. It's big and beautiful, filled with crypts and graves. Obviously it's a very popular place to celebrity hunt, but you can easily get away from the crowds and just wander by yourself. Get a map if you want to find anything.

Museums:
-If you've never been, definitely do the Musée d'Orsay for the Impressionists. Get all the way upstairs and go outside onto the balcony. You can see to Montmartre.
-If you're into fashion, Christian Lacroix curated an exhibit at the Musée des Beaux Arts, which is in the same building as the Louvre. (metro: Palais-Royale) I think it's open until mid-April.
-If you go to the Louvre, take the metro and get off at Palais Royale Musée du Louvre-- way less waiting in line. If you're going on a weekend (and Heaven help you, if you are), get your tickets online in advance.
-The Orangerie, also by the Louvre, has Monet's water lilies paintings in a filtered, natural light. It's super nice to run in and see, especially if you're not a museum person but want to get cultured.
-The Pompidou has the best modern art collection I've ever seen. Period.
-The Palais de Tokyo (metro: Iéna) has the coolest museum café. It's really chill and boys in skinny jeans serve milkshakes. The art is absolutely batshit insane, but worth seeing at least once.

Parks:
-My favorites are the Tuileries (right by the Louvre), and the Luxembourg. How original, I know

Markets:
-Sunday morning bird and flower market on the Ile de le Cité, by the Sainte-Chapelle.
-There are also weekly markets at Bastille and Iéna, not to mention smaller ones throughout the city and in the outlying areas. Ask at a hostel or hotel, and then go buy fruit for the day, or lunch.

Churches:
-My favorite by far is the Sainte-Chappelle, right around the corner from Notre Dame. Don't even spend 5 minutes downstairs-- go directly to the second floor, and make sure you come on a sunny day. Every wall is covered with stained glass-- it's amazing.

Shopping:
Most of my shopping was done in Zaras, H&Ms, and random places I found in the following areas. Paris is very expensive, so it's sometimes more fun to windowshop and wish you were rich. The grand department stores are INCREDIBLE... If you go, make sure to pop into the food halls-- they usually have very good food (too expensive for regular grocery shopping, but it's a nice souvenir or a treat).

-My favorite department store, Le Bon Marché (metro: Sèvres-Babylone), is also the most expensive and exclusive. You probably won't buy anything here. Make sure to see the food market, especially if you want some American groceries
-The Marais and Saint Germain are the best areas to just wander around in. There are also a lot of art galleries in the Marais, especially as you head toward the Bastille.
-Colette, a tiny department store on the rue Saint-Honoré, by the Tuileries metro stop. It's not even labelled outside, but inside everyone is good-looking and probably working in fashion. They have a water bar downstairs, with wifi. It's interesting to people-watch.

Day trips:
-See Versailles if you have half a day to spare. Take the RER train (try to get on an express- it takes like 10 minutes) and then walk from the station. I think the grounds are the best part, but seeing the Hall of Mirrors is imperative. Make sure you get out to the Petit and Grand Trianons, because they are so much more peaceful than the big chateau.
-If it's springtime and you have a full day, go to Giverny (Monet's garden and house). Take the train and then ride bikes from the station to the gardens. I've been told the American Museum is excellent, but didn't go personally.

Tips for Paris:
-Avoid spending too much time on the Champs-Elysées, unless you've got some official business or want to check out a flagship store. It tends to be very very overcrowded with tourists and people working there. There's nothing to see but the Arc de Triomphe. See it at night, when the lights lead from La Défense all the way down to the Place de la Concorde and then to the Louvre.
-Don't speak to people on the street who are begging, asking if you speak English, or trying to tie a bracelet on your wrist. Also, don't touch someone's wares (ex. mini Eiffel Towers, hats, postcards) unless you plan to buy them. Unfortunately, you can't do much to help them, and they will just follow you until you pay them.
-On the metro, try not to be too loud or make eye contact with sketchy men when you're by yourself. But you already knew that.
-Cheap and easy lunch/dinner (hell, brunch): Bottle of wine, baguette, and cheese: either climb down to the river somewhere by the Notre Dame, or hang out in front of the Ecole Militaire (it's actually directly in front of the Eiffel Tower, but far enough away that gypsies won't hike over to bother you, and there aren't ever any tourists).

Try to find an excuse to drive along the river at night. Take a cab, bus, hitchhike, anything-- the lights float on the water, the Louvre is lit up, and the Eiffel Tower sparkles for 10 minutes at the top of every hour (starting around 6pm).

Above all, remember Parisians are like New Yorkers: they seem tough, but inside, a lot of them are very very nice. Many people like adventurous Americans. At the very least, they are used to them.

Try to always say hello and goodbye when entering stores or talking to people (Bonjour Madame or Au revoir Monsieur). If you have a question, ask if they speak English (Pardon, parlez-vous anglais?). And say Merci!