About the Neighborhood

    Immediate Neighborhood

    This is a safe and welcoming Parisian village.  It brims with cafés, restaurants, bakeries, florists, wine and cheese shops, bookstores, boutiques, neighborhood cinemas, theaters, and markets. The apartment is four blocks from the lively rue Mouffetard, home of the famous Mouffetard market.  Other favorite neighborhood spots are the banks of the Seine, Botanical Gardens, Nôtre Dame, Luxembourg Gardens, Panthéon, Arenes de Lutèce (Roman amphitheater), two more local markets (Monge and Maubert) and Paris Mosque with its wonderful tearoom.  A short subway ride (two stations, each five minutes walk) takes you anywhere.

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    Immediate Neighborhood

    This is a safe and welcoming Parisian village.  It brims with cafés, restaurants, bakeries, florists, wine and cheese shops, bookstores, boutiques, neighborhood cinemas, theaters, and markets. The apartment is four blocks from the lively rue Mouffetard, home of the famous Mouffetard market.  Other favorite neighborhood spots are the banks of the Seine, Botanical Gardens, Nôtre Dame, Luxembourg Gardens, Panthéon, Arenes de Lutèce (Roman amphitheater), two more local markets (Monge and Maubert) and Paris Mosque with its wonderful tearoom.  A short subway ride (two stations, each five minutes walk) takes you anywhere.

    Fifth Arrondissement

    On the left bank of the River Seine, the Fifth is one of the central and oldest districts. This is the Quartier Latin, named for the language of the original university lecturers.  The Sorbonne and University of Paris bring a student character to the Fifth.  Quiet residential streets have easy access to jazz clubs and lively nightlife. Museums include Cluny and the Institut du Monde Arabe.  You can buy food for your dinner in farmers markets, shop along boulevard Saint Germain, stroll winding medieval streets and explore traces of Roman times.

    All of the photos below are from the Fifth Arrondissement. 

    Transportation

    Métros

    The Monge and Jussieu subway stations are each five minutes from the apartment.

    Buses

    Two bus lines stop across the street; two more stops are a six minute walk.

    Cuisine

    Bakery Patisserie​

    There’s nothing better than a morning croissant or afternoon pastry. At least twelve bakeries are within eight minutes of the apartment. 

    Cafe Life

    Local cafés are friendly and relaxed – great for conversation, watching soccer games, and people-watching. Everywhere you turn, there is a café.

    Fine Dining

    The apartment Guest Guide includes a list of local restaurants for an elegant night out.

    Cheese Shops

    The French have 1,200 different kinds of cheese. Tell your server if you like it strong or mild, hard or soft, and they’ll help you choose your favorite.

    Cooking Classes

    Up the street is Le Foodist, with hands-on classes from breads to three-course meals.

    Shopping

    Monge Market

    Vegetables, fish, flowers, spices…the whole neighborhood goes to the Monge market or the Maubert market, both a short walk away.

    Clothing and Gifts

    There are gift and clothing shops all around the city, and at the “Grands Magasins” (department stores).

    News Kiosk

    By every Métro stop there is a news kiosk that sells magazines, newspapers and all matter of printed material.

    Quincaillerie

    Parisian quincailleries are a cross between hardware stores and 5-and-10s, with anything you might need for the house. Three are near the apartment.

    Local Landmarks

    The Jardin des Plantes

    Paris’ botanical garden, with 68 acres of flowers, greenhouses, a menagerie, specialized gardens and five buildings of the Museum of Natural History.

    Grande Mosquée de Paris

    The Mosquée de Paris was built to honor the Muslim soldiers who fought for France in WW1. It is the oldest mosque in France. Parisians flock to its restaurant and tea room.

    Panthéon

    The Panthéon is a monument to the most distinguished French citizens. Its most recent honoree was Josephine Baker, the French-American entertainer and patriot.

    Roman Arenas

    The Arènes de Lutèce are among the few remnants of Roman architecture in Paris. They were saved from destruction by Victor Hugo and others, who intervened when transportation plans threatened them.

    Neighborhood Churches

    The Fifth arrondissement is scattered with small churches. Saint Julien is described as the oldest in Paris and frequently hosts concerts. Saint Médard, at the foot of rue Mouffetard, is a quiet place with a children’s playground and cafés all around.

    Shakespeare and Company

    Shakespeare and Company is the popular successor to Sylvia Beach’s iconic shop. It is crammed with books and even cots that accommodate aspiring writers and artists.

    "SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY, PARIS" flickr photo by esartee https://flickr.com/photos/esartee/23837894834 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license

    Sorbonne

    From 1253 onwards, the Sorbonne building housed the College of Sorbonne, one of the first universities in the Western world.

    Val de Grace

    The Baroque masterpiece, Val de Grace was a royal abbey church, and, after the Revolution, briefly part of the army’s teaching hospital.

    Unique Experiences

    Place de la Contrescarpe

    Contrescarpe, at the north end of the rue Mouffetard, has the best people-watching in Paris, with cafés, flowers, musicians and a nearby Hemingway house.

    Rue Mouffetard

    “La Mouffe” is a pedestrian street that dates from Roman times. It is now a famous market street lined with shops, restaurants and food markets.

    College Town

    College kids clowning. Class competitions sometimes spill over into the neighborhood, like this day of silly races with everyone painted head to toe.

    Street art

    Street art – from graffiti to monumental murals – has become a feature of the city and a recognized art movement.

    Rollerblading

    On Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, rollerbladers gather to travel across Paris on skates. This group is passing in front of our building.

    Street cleaning

    Paris is one of the cleanest major cities, thanks to the efforts of its 4,800 green-clad garbage collectors and other sanitation workers.

    Fountains & Gardens

    Flowers bloom everywhere in Paris’ 421 parks, frequently decorated with fountains. In our neighborhood, the fountains and streets are named for scientists. The ubiquitous green Wallace fountains, originally a gift from a philanthropist, provide clean water.

    Music

    Jazz and Concerts

    In the Fifth arrondissement and all over Paris, there are jazz clubs and churches with classical concerts and restaurants that host visiting musicians. This is Le Petit Journal, near the Luxembourg Gardens, and a jazz group at a local café.”

    Le Petit Bal

    An accordionist, singers and dancers turn out every Sunday morning for “Le Petit Bal”, to perform the traditional songs of France. For lucky visitors, they hand out songsheets.

    Street performers

    Street performers appear whenever the weather is good, to earn money or for city events.