attn Discover - a question

you mentioned in another post that you feel comfortable staying in the 13e. If you wouldn%26#39;t mind, could you tell me about it? All I have been able to find thru searches is that it%26#39;s chinatown, not touristy and more %26quot;industrial looking.%26quot; If you%26#39;d prefer, you could email me at grace00021@hotmail.com

merci!

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I%26#39;ll e-mail you JustGrace. Where is %26quot;over here%26quot;?

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Just Grace, I was in the 13th yesterday evening. It has been years since I went there and I was VERY pleasantly surprised. I got off at Gobelins Station and I walked all along Arago boulevard, it is beautiful with old building just as you can find in the center of Paris. We had dinner in a very good restaurant called %26quot;l%26#39;oursine%26quot; (92 rue Broca) with a prix fixed menu 29 euros(starter, main dish, dessert). The place is not fancy, nor elegant, but the staff is friendly and the food is really good. I had a green lentils soup with roasted foie gras, then sauteed scallops with braised endives and then some choux pastry stuffed with praline and chocolate sauce.Yummy

There is also a new %26quot;headquarter%26quot; in the 13th just along the Quais (wharfs) where you have nice boat restaurants, a great movie theater and some nice shops.

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Shhhhhhhh.........it is a secret......

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Grace your e-mail came back to me saying %26quot;can%26#39;t deliver%26quot;.

Is it correct?

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%26quot;over here%26quot; is Colorado :)

and I double checked for typos. but yes, grace00021@hotmail.com is correct (those are zeros, not O%26#39;s if that helps.) Perhaps I have too much stuff in my mailbox and it%26#39;s blocking. if you wouldn%26#39;t mind trying again that would be great. Thanks much.

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Thanks Anne! Part of the travel deal I got was to stay at the Place d%26#39;Italie and from what I%26#39;d found so far I%26#39;d pretty much resigned myself to taking the metro to the center every day. But now I think I%26#39;ll include at least one afternoon to explore my %26quot;home base.%26quot;

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Hi Justgrace: I tried again but it came back %26quot; undeliverable%26quot; . I made sure I did the # thing too. I removed some things from the orinal letter and I will just post revised here:

%26quot;Hi JustGrace!

There are a couple of hotels right near the Place d%26#39;Italie. If you have a %26quot;Paris Plan%26quot; or a map of Paris you will see the circular area. There are several very nice hotels right there on those intersecting Blvds.

There is also a huge long market/brocade three days a week. The roller skating on Friday night leaves from Place d%26#39;Italie. That area is not %26quot;China Town%26quot;. It is not industrial either!

It is just the beginning area of the 13th Er a few blocks up from the Gobelins area of the 5 thEr. The bus main station and a large Metro is right there!

There is a huge huge shopping Mall right there. It contains cinema, several boutiques, a large Primtemp Department stores. Three floors of shopping. In the basement there is a huge grocery store! There are lots of dining areas there.

If you go up to the Tolbiac Metro area and passed that you are getting into the Chinatown areas where you really don%26#39;t want to be. It really is not unsafe just too far away from the center of Paris .

One can walk up Ave de Choisy just a couple of blocks from Place d%26#39;Italie and find some great Chinese restaruants and a great buffet Chinese restaurants. (I think the prices here are more what locals

pay.)

My favorite Dim Sum (you have to take Metro to Porte d%26#39;Italie and cross the street to 15 Ave de Choisy) restaruant is called %26quot;Tricotin%26quot;.

Across the street is a huge shopping mall and huge 2 floor(spanish) grocery/everything store that locals shop in. I love this for bringing home gifts and French specialty items ( less expensive than the center areas). There are many places to eat there and also lots of different stores (Floralist, beauty products, shoes, etc).

The area near Place d%26#39;Italie fits my needs because it has great bus and Metro connections. The market is right there so is the grocery. I usually stay 30-45 days and I have been able to get good hotels for much less than the 5 Er or the 6Er. They are more willing to negoitate prices.

It may not be what you have in mind but it by far is as safe an area as the 5 Er and the 6 Er ( In my opinion, it is much safer than the les Halles or the Montmarte area for a woman alone at night). I walk at

night there because there are lots of people/activity out there. I think more of the working French live out here as well as in the 14Er ( One of my cousins live in the 14 Er but I do not feel it has the activity late at night there so I do not stay there.)

I hope that answers your questions? If not let me know what else I can help you

with.

Regards,

Discover

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Discover,

Thank you so much for your response! I just this afternoon confirmed my reservation at Hotel La Vert Galant and pleased to hear it is not too off center nor a %26#39;bad%26#39; area. I will be there over Christmas and have read hundreds of reviews before deciding on this one. Not too many reviews here, but found many elsewhere and web site is of course excellent. Arrival will tell if it is as advertised.

Thanks to all on this forum...it has been a great source of information and help!

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The last poster: Are you aware that the hotel you chose is in the 20Er (out near St Denis)?

It is not anywhere near the 13 ER.

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thanks again Discover... very helpful into. I don%26#39;t know what the problem is with my email but I appreciate you taking the time to re-post.

In gratitude, I will try to hide my seething jealousy that you get to go to France for 30-45 days at a time :)