Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Seine and several long green stretches that bolster the
feeling of luxury. The Champ-de-Mars, the longest grassy
promenade in Paris, is a charming park stretching from
the École Militaire to the Eiffel Tower, and the Esplanade
des Invalides has a welcome green strip down to the
river. A popular area for families with children, there are
several small playgrounds and a sweetly hidden park at
Square Récamier. Apartments tend to be large, gracious
and well-maintained.
Commerce clusters toward the edges of the 7
e
—to the east
near rue du Bac and rue de Sèvres, and toward the west along
rue Saint-Dominique and rue de Grenelle. Some of the city's
best options for dining are in this
arrondissement
; otherwise
there is little evening activity. Antique shops and galleries
thrive in the compact area known as Le Carré Rive Gauche.
Especially popular with foreigners are the chic rue du Bac
area and other small streets throughout the
arrondissement
.
Many provide commercial services, and on rue de Sèvres is
the famous department store and food hall, Le Bon Marché.
The charming market street, rue Cler, is conveniently near
the old townhouses and modern apartments of rue Bosquet
and rue de Grenelle.
Eighth Arrondissement (8
e
)
The spectacular avenue des Champs-Elysées and the
tourists who have taken it over dominate much of the 8th
arrondissement
. Although a major overhaul of this 17th-
century aristocratic promenade brought back a touch of
its distinction after years of decline, its high rents are now
affordable primarily for international chains such as Virgin
Megastore and the hotels and restaurants that cater to the
ubiquitous tourists. Despite the persistence of such traditional
institutions as Fouquet's restaurant and the Lido Cabaret, this
is one of the least Parisian parts of Paris.
This was not always the case. When the Tuileries Palace
was burned down during the uprising of the Paris Commune
in 1871 and the 1
er
dropped from aristocratic favour, this
adjacent area took its place. Preferred by the upper classes
since the area was laid out by the famous Le Nôtre during
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