Shopping Areas
Sorry, this is not my specialist area. Below are a few pointers anyway…
Main Shopping Areas
Rue de Rivoli, 75001 - From Hôtel de Ville through to the Louvre.
Châtelet Les Halles, 75001 - Large underground shopping centre on three floors.
Rue du Commerce, 75015 - Between Metro “La Motte Picquet Grenelle” and Metro “Félix Faure.”
Boutiques
The Marais is full of small, interesting shops covering fashion, jewellery, cooking, etc. It is also one of the few places in Paris where the shops are open on Sundays. The other being Cour St. Emilion.
The Passages are covered shopping areas that date from the 17th Century. Unfortunately many of them have been destroyed over the years. Those that remain have largely been renovated and contain a mix of quirky shops and new fashionable boutiques. This web site lists the passages and contains pictures of each.
Men’s Formal Wear
Rue de Turenne (start from Rue Saint-Antoine) contains alot of off-the-rack men’s formal wear shops (suits, shirts, ties, wedding suits, etc.).
Computer Equipment
There are many small IT stores around Rue de Charenton (From Avenue Daumesnil to the roundabout), Rue Montgallet and Avenue Daumesnil. Prices can vary quite alot from store to store. There is a large Surcouf (chain store) on Avenue Daumesnil.
Art
Paris is great for picking up pieces of art and caters for all budgets. Here are a few places that I’ve been to:
Boulevard Richard Lenoir, 75011. There is a small (30 or so) artists’ market every Saturday near Bastille.
Boulevard Edgar Quinet, 75014. Artists’ market every Sunday (9.00 - 19.00)
59 Rue de Rivoli, 75001. In an abandoned building on Rue de Rivoli is an artists squat. If the door is open then you are free to enter and wander around the various studios.
Place des Vosges, 75004. This beautiful square in the Marais was once home to Victor Hugo and now contains some of the slickest art galleries in Paris. On Saturdays you often find local classical musicians busking under the arches.
Ile Saint Louis, 75001. The smaller of the two islands in the middle of the Seine contains some lovely little art galleries along its main street as well as some great ice cream parlours.
6th and 7th Arrondissements. These two districts contain many high quality art galleries.
