During every sojourn in a great city, it is highly advisable to venture at least once into precincts previously unknown; serendipity is the umami of travel. During my time in Paris last week, I decided to combine my visit to Père Lachaise with a lunch and saunter in a nearby neighborhood, Belleville. This quarter, which has sections in the 10th, 11th, 19th, and 20th arrondissements, is a diverse area with a deep working-class history (communards manned the barricades here in 1848 and 1871), and it now includes many immigrant communities. Belleville has two Chinatowns, and is home to Parisians who have come from all over the world. The district offers affordable studio space for artists, and is the site of some of the best street art in Paris. It also has some of the highest topography in the city, and you can enjoy fine views from the Parc de Belleville. I used my “daisy method” of wandering here to good effect.
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