Along Canal Saint Martin: the 10th Arrondissement
The 10th arrondissement draws fewer tourists than most except, of course, if they are arriving or departing by train. Both the Gare de Nord and Gare De L’Est are important parts of the area and wherever there are trains there are restaurants, hotels and taxi traffic. There are a few touristy sites like the Musee Du Cristal and the Musee De La Publicité. There are some theatres near the southern end.But the most interesting activities occur along the open part of the Canal St Martin from the charming statue of La Grisette, the nineteenth century flower girl that stands close to the Place De La Republic, to the Basin De La Villette just past the Place Stalingrad. Here, the activity is to watch the canal boats make their way through the locks. This can be done on the shores of Quai De Valmy or opposite on the Quai de Jemmapes. All along the canal there are bridges, which afford great views of the boats as they stand in the spray of water while the locks fill. There are bridges at Rue Louis Blanc and at Rue E Varlin (where Amélie Poulain skipped rocks). Along the pedestrian street, Rue Haendel, you’ll see great views of the tall terraced social housing buildings. Close by on Place du Colonel Fabien is the curved glass tower which is the headquarters of the French Communist Party.
This area has not onlt the canal, but hotels, cafes, two railway stations, four hospitals and two triumphal arches honoring great victories on the Rhine and in Franche-Compte. It is also home to about 90,000 people on an area covering 286 hectares, about the same size as the city of Avignon. There are cultivated gardens, great missionary churches and convents. Here, the bourgeoisie settled near the grands boulevards. In the 19th century, Napoleon I agreed to a canal, stretching 4.5 km and joining the basin de la Villette and the Arsenal. It was built between 1806 and 1825 and connects the canal de l’Ourcq with the Seine. With auto transport, the canal fell into disuse but has been revitalized by tourist barges since 1990. There had been a plan to build a four-lane highway over the canal but a movement against the project swelled and the canal remains.
Much of the trip from the Bastille to the basin is underground but not in total darkness. With a guided description and appropriate music, the three-hour ride is memorable. Then, as you enter the 10th, you are back in the sunlight, delighting in the pedestrian walkways and tiny steel bridges. A friend lived near the canal while he attended university. He said it was like having a sideshow outside your window, especially when the patrons screamed with glee as the spray of the locks drenched them. For a drier ride, I suggest you take a seat in the rear.
Here you will discover antiques, flea markets or flower stalls at the Albert Market near Hopital St. Louis or a covered market at 85 bis, Bd. Magenta, every Tues & sat.
Or relax at Chez Prune at 16 rue Beaurepaire. Call for directions at 42 41 30 47. This is a perfect place for Sunday brunch or a relaxing drink any time from 8 AM to 2 AM. They are near the Jacques Bonsergent metro.
For hotels it’s best to head for the station areas. You can select from a wide array of places to stay at all prices. I recommend the 2*Timhotel at 10 rue Philippe Girard half way between the two stations. Their seventy-two rooms are built around a garden retreat.
The Relais Paris Republic boasts an elegant Haussemann façade and was redone in 2002. The 65 room Relais at 38 Boul. De Magenta is chic, modern and trendy. Even the price is right.
Of course there is a very nice Holiday Inn on the Place de la Republique at number 10. They have an excellent restaurant called “Belle Epoque’. Call for reservations at 43 55 44 34.
The 10th has a special feel to it with surviving area factories, homes warehouses and taverns. In the 19th century, it was a thriving industrial, working class district. This is where Edith Piaf and Jean Gabin once sang and ruled. People from all parts of the world live here, an excellent opportunity for you to discover commodities for every ethnic taste. One can walk through a quiet park or sit along the quai. But if you want action, it awaits you in this interesting old district. There are 18th century tollhouses like the Barriere de la Villette and a wonderful statue in the middle of the busy Place de La Republique. One gets a true feeling of Paris as you stand in the shadow of La Republique.
For peace and quiet, walk along the Quai de Jemmapes. The industrial building at No, 134 is a reminder of the past, plus you’ll find a modern old people’s residence with monumental concrete columns at No. 126 and a beautiful Art Deco building with iron balconies and period tiles at No. 112.
Even the great 17th century Hôpital St Louis is worth visiting, if only to walk around the sculptured gardens. Founded in the early 1600s by Henry IV, it was created to care for victims of the plague. At the junction of Quai de Jemmapes and Rue de la Grange you are at the spot where the Montfaucon gallows once stood.
But that’s not what one thinks about in the tenth. One thinks about what Paris was like in days gone by and what Paris has become in the 21st century.
Other restaurants:
The Place de la Republique has some very good restaurants and bistros and the streets around the place will turn up others. Don’t be dismayed if the address says they are in the 9th or 11th. The Place is where the tenth begins and it sits in the corner of other neighborhoods.
I recommend Chez Jenny. I was there with a group recently. The food was well prepared and the service was top notch. This is a fancy and large restaurant housing 600 people but if you like Alsatian dishes, this is the place for you. They are at 39 Boul. De Temple. Call 42 74 75 75 between 11:30 and 1 AM.
For Lebanese specialties for a party or event, Assanabel offers free delivery. They are at 6 Rue Pierre Chausson. Tel: 42 08 34 67
Arnie Greenberg is a retired professor and freelance writer. He taught in Montreal area schools for 37 years, 25 at Vanier College. His specialty is modern France with a special emphasis on Paris in the 1920s. Since his retirement, Arnie has been actively involved in a new venture. He operates a small tour company which organizes and takes tour groups to Europe each spring. It all started with "Hemingway's Paris" and now incorporates the whole of France and parts of Spain! Contact him at Ultours@aol.com
