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19th: Belleville, Villette

Paris - 19th Arrondissement

Like every major city, neighborhoods change to reflect its residents and the bustling 19th has changed for the better. Once you've seen the major Paris landmarks, hit the 19th's thriving ethnic cafés, bars, shops and art galleries. Some say Belleville Park is the best place to snap skyline photos of the Eiffel Tower and Paris sunsets.

La place de la Bataille de Stalingrad has had a face lift. The six-theatre cinéma MK2 Quai de Loire has debuted (an extension of the history of film, as it was here that "the dream factory"—part of the Gaumont studios—first opened). The Rotonde de la Place Stalingrad will present its new face at the quai de Loire, the quai de Seine and the quai de la Seine. The fontaine de Georges Jeanclos, which will be a new entry way to part of the Seine and will soon spout its flourishing waters. The Rotunda of Ledoux will become one of the quatre barrières vestiges de l'enceinte des Fermiers Généraux, along with the Monceau parks, Denfert-Rochereau and the colonnes du Trône—presenting itself as one of the major points on the axis of the basin.

First introduced, la place de la Bataille de Stalingrad became a joke, and a scarey one at that. It was supposed to be opened as a sophisticated new spot in Paris, but, in fact, the whole presentation fell to pot due to bad management, etc., and what was meant to be 100% fabulousness, fast became, maybe, the one place in Paris where people feared to walk. Crime abounded. Before the crime came, the basin of the Villette was the place to be, with Parisians canoeing and hanging out in the guinguettes, fishing contests and naval tournaments. Alas, though, industrialization took over. However, by redesigning the area, and using existing buildings for events and businesses (example, the rotunda), by creating the "K" (cinema), adding even more spaces for children, creating a space for computer nerds with the Quay Web and an Internet cafe, adding artist ateliers, craft areas and a general store ( Le magasin Général côté quai de Loire), and the joining of the quays—turning the banks of the basin, the quay of the Loire and the quay of the Seine into walking and bicycle paths (the longest unbroken cycle track in Ile-de-France—30 km—goes directly through here) with new sidewalks to host activities—and adding bars, restaurants, and a St Christopher's Paris Hostel (http://www.st-christophers.co.uk/paris-hostels) and a 3-star Holiday Inn with 144 rooms, the 19th will soon be, once again, one of the places for Parisians and tourist to take flock.

And get this... everything will be created to appeal to the green in us. Solar energized buildings that recycle rainwater!

The Battle of Stalingrad—where over one and a half million soldiers died—became the beginning of the end for Hitler. Had it not happened, France could possibly no longer exist, except as part of Germany. Therefore, the French were wise to dedicate an area to this famous battle. And now, after all these years, the area will finally begin to live up to its honor once again.

Sites of Interest


Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Buttes Chaumont essentially translates into the bald mountain, because, indeed, a limestone rocky hill juts out of the middle of the park, where on top, resides the Corinthian-styled temple of Sibylle. This is one of the most geographically and diversely pleasing parks in Paris - and certainly worth a visit on your second trip to Paris. Here you can find two and a half miles of paths, with overhanging cliffs, a grotto and waterfall, a lake below with a 63-meter suspension suicide bridge, a Merry-go-Round, puppet shows, pony and donkey rides, gorgeous landscape and scenery, restaurants, etc.


And to quote New York Times writer, Ann Pringle-Harris, "In none of my exploratory walks in June through the Buttes-Chaumont district did I find a sinister working-class neighborhood. I found instead the mix of residential and commercial streets common to outlying arrondissements, with dwellings that ranged from handsome turn-of-the-century apartment-house blocks to cottage-size houses whose small gardens open onto cobblestoned alleyways just about wide enough for one car. Some are ivy-covered, some have trellised rose gardens or wisteria arbors; all have the charm of the country in an urban venue."

If that’s not an invitation to go, then what is?

Address: Rues Botzaris, Manin
Métro: Buttes-Chaumont
Handicap Accessible
Hours: 7am-10:15pm from June 1-August 15; from 7am-9:15pm from August 15 - September 30 (and all May); from 7-8:15pm from September 30-May 1.
Velib: stands throughout arrondissement

The Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, The Cité des Enfants, and The Parc de la Villette

Whomever named The Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie should have stopped at the word "Sciences," if for no other reason, the term "Industry" does not, exactly, a tourist market grow. Nevertheless, if you're smart enough and you read on, you'll see that you can forgive this marketing flaw, and you'll understand that on a second trip to Paris, a day spent embarking on a Canauxrama (a canoe ride) down the Canal Saint-Martin, through the 10th arrondissement, all the way to 13, Quai de la Loire in the 19th arrondissement, to visit La Villette and the the Cité des Sciences—or the very interactive Science Museum Extraordinaire, to be exact, along with the Cité des Enfants—will certainly be worth a day... with adults and/or kids, or even alone.

At the Science museum, expect mini-exhibits inside "follies," the Cinaxe (a simulator that is used by pilots, etc.), the planetarium, not to be confused with the very popular Géode that houses an amazing 1,000 square meter Omnimax movie theatre, and an exploratory venture of a French naval attack submarine, the Argonaute. There are also fascinating exhibitions, some past ones being the Virtual Universe, Star Wars Expo, and a demonstratoin of molecular cooking!

For those who need to leg it outside, the gardens of la Villette—seriously designed architecture and gardens fill up 35 hectares that are open every day, all year, and are completely free—will amaze. The Park of the Villette might have the City of Sciences inside its center, but the rest of the park is all about leisure and play under the sun. Here there are various scenes of nature, combined with modern sculptures, and often sculptures that can be climbed. The "kinematic" is a three kilometer walk that takes you through ten themed gardens (and, on lucky days, with an open air concert pipe throughout).

Architect Bernard Tschumi, wanting to offer something spectacular to Paris, commissioned designer Philippe Starck, and together they came up with a park that offers sounds, waters, trees, playgrounds and all kinds of park fun and gorgeousness.

The Garden of The Dragon (le jardin du Dragon)
In the garden of the dragon, the swings and seesaws are constantly in motion, with vertical walls, inclined areas, and an 88 meter Dragon Slide (called a toboggan). Truly perfect the kids.

The Garden of The Winds and The Dunes (le jardin des Dunes et des Vents)
Near by the Garden of the Dragons, one can find this play area, where kites, windmills run by pedals, weather vanes, waves of air cushiony slides and waving green playgrounds and more become an adventure integrated in and around hollowed out dunes. Perfect for kids.

The Garden of The Mirrors (le jardin des Miroirs)
This garden offers a place for visitors to walk among a strange neo-futuristic landscape of huge standing, reflecting mirrors and green trees, with projecting lights at night that offer yet another vision of reflection and shadows.

The Garden of Stunt-Flying (Le jardin des Voltiges)
Bernard Tschumi's perfectly designed space is dedicated to climbing the trees and offers a place of apprenticeship for those who want to risk breaking their necks with adventurous rope climbs (hellow Tarzan). While several meters above in the trees, climbers can whisper to each other across the arbors inside cupolas, hopefully saying, "Tell Mom I'm still alive!"

The Garden of The Bamboos (le jardin des Bambous)
This is the eden of Zen, where peace comes from the absences of outside noise, and where natural bamboo comes together with Daniel Buren (of "Colonnes de Buren" Palais Royal fame) black and white stripes painted on pebbles offers a vision of futuristic serenity. The noise is interrupted only by Bernhard Leitner's concrete vertical cylinder which offers new age sounds piping out of 24 loudspeakers into a round outside loung area. Ribbons of trickling water are everywhere.

The Garden of Balances (le jardin des Équilibres)
Here is a 2,600 square meter garden where imbalances and geometric patterns take advantage of the balance that trees offer (look for the mighty Metasequoias!) Aluminum kites look as if they have falling into trees, and there are even two footbridges. Night might be the best time to visit, because of the strange, geometric neon lighting that illuminates the way.

The Garden of The Treillised Vineyard (le jardin de la Treille)
Eight terraces on different levels, 90 mini-waterfalls, climbing plants, and a vast treillised vineyard that make a canopy of shade offer a lovely space for the bronze sculptures of Jean-max Vexlard's "sighting devices," make visitors long to get back to gardening at home.

The Garden of The Islands (le jardin des Îles)
Here is a garden on a small island on the Canal de l'Ourcq, where black and white marble trails curve around trees, and where a stream of water hits a large slab of granite in the middle of it all. This is yet another bit of loveliness best appreciated by adults.

The Garden of Childish Frights (Le jardin des Frayeurs enfantines)
Ready to walk through woods, as if you're heading to the Gingerbread House or to visit the Big Bad Wolf? You might not find a fairy tale house here, but the experience of the fear you'll feel walking the path here is phenomenal. Finally, a place where you'll be perfectly safe feeling perfectly frightened, lost and in complete danger. As icing on a Halloween cake, eerie music will follow you.

The Garden of The Shades (le jardin des Ombres)
This garden is more of an escape for the adults, to laze and read and take in the silence under the shade along these lovely black and white flagstone paths, and benches (there are 50 of them, bring a book) and around the multiple trees.

Practical Info for La Villette and the Museums

Mediatheque de la Cite des Sciences
30 avenue Corentin Cariou
Tél: 01 4005 7676

Cité des Sciences
30 avenue Corentin Cariou
Tél: 01 4005 8000

Le Parc de la Villette
30, avenue Corentin Cariou

La Géode
26, avenue Corentin-Cariou

Hours: Monday, 12pm-7:45pm; Wednesday & Friday, 12-6:45 pm