Montmartre is talked about by Parisians the way New Yorkers talk about the village: It's not what it used to be, It's like Disneyland, the artists can't afford to live here anymore,too many tourists etc. There is some truth these opinions, but there are two ways of approaching this incredibly unique village within the metropolis. The first is to follow the herd instinct and stampede your way up the famous hill, take a picture of yourself on the steps of the basilica, buy an overpriced crepe at the Place du Tertre, get conned into having your portrait sketched, and walk back down clutching newly bought key-rings, postcards, gaudy T-shirts feeling a little mystified about what all the fuss is about.
he second method is to keep a map in your pocket (just in case) and try to lose yourself in the steep and cobbled streets of one of the most historic and interesting neighborhoods in Paris. Remember that the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur (the big white church) sits on the crest of the hill, so as long as you are heading uphill there is little possibility of being lost for long. At the bottom of the hill is the Boulevard de Clichy which is lined with bars, kebab shops, and more sex shops and peep-shows than you can possibly pretend you are not looking at. If you think of a triangle, consider the base of it to be the section of Blvd. de Clichy and Blvd. de Rochechouartbetween the metro stations Blanche andAnvers. The tip of the triangle would be the Basilica of Sacre-Coeur. The area between these three points is roughly the area of interest.
You can begin your walk at any point along the base of the hill, or take the metro to Abbesses station and step out into the heart of Montmartre. Because all the great poets have told us the journey is more important than the destination, I recommend you start at metro Blanche (Moulin Rouge) or metroAnvers and gradually enter the "village". This will make it feel more like a pilgrimage toward the place that nurtured most of the great artists and writers living in France this past century. If you are handicapped do not be deterred. While cobblestone streets and steps of Montmartre present a problem, there is a small white "mini-train" which looks like a kids ride but will drive up the hill and wind through the narrow alleys giving you a very good sense of the neighborhood without the hassle of struggling with crutches or a wheelchair. This is also recommended for families with children. The little bus can trick the children into thinking they are having a good time, and can be used as a justification for the agony they will endure at the table of another long dinner at a restaurant later. For those of you who are fit and able, over age 9, and childless, sitting in this train while you could be walking is an embarrassment you must reflect upon in the deep recesses of your soul. If you are a straight male in this category, you lose any chance you might have had with a French women if you are sighted riding.
Exiting the Anvers metro station you will notice a marked change in the environment if you are used to the left bank scene. The crowd here is edgier and faster, neon signs flash, pimps lean in doorways, sex shops sell everything you had never thought of and countless nationalities mix on the crowded sidewalks. While Montmarte is gentrified and somewhat "sanitized" these days, the neighboring areas are certainly not.Barbes-Rochechouart to the east can be a little rough at night, so don't go wandering there alone with your camera and guidebooks at night. In the daytime it is a wonderful place to buy anything from socks to television in massive budget shops such as Tatti for household supplies, and Darty for electronics. The streets are also lined with stalls selling towels, underwear, sheets, linens, etc. for ridiculously cheap prices. If you are an arriving poor student in Paris and need supplies, go there! Just watch your wallet--- the bustling street market is a great place to have it lifted. Just across the street you will notice a beautiful building falling into decay--- the Elysees Montmartre Theatre. It is said to be the oldest can-can dance theatre in Paris, and is obviously underrated and overshadowed because of the famous Moulin Rouge at the other end of the street.
You will notice throngs of people in the little Rue de Steinkerque. Follow them. The street has recently been infected by T-shirt shops and trinket peddlers, but the two Sympa stores with big red signs are an excellent place to find cheap clothing, sometimes brand names that are either irregular or just fell off the back of some truck. Arrive early on Saturday morning and you will be amazed to see trucks pull up and dump enormous cardboard boxes onto the sidewalk. Then the workers run out with boxcutters, split the tape seals, and literally dump piles of jeans or sweaters made by Naff Naff or Bennetton or Esprit onto huge wooden sidewalk bins. Now the ladies lined up on the opposite sidewalk like Olympic sprinters jump the gun and swarm the piles. The sight alone is remarkable. Elbows fly, hands spin through sweaters, banknotes appear and disappear, clothes sail over shoulders, arms grow heavy under mountains of cloth--- it's like watching seagulls on a shrimp boat. It's western civilization at its finest! On this street you will also find interesting fabric stores as well as Columbia Coffee, one of the rare take-out coffee shops in Paris for those hardcore New Yorkers who need their fix on the go. I actually appreciate the concept of "to-go" coffee, as do others who don't have three hours to spare in a steamy window with a café au lait) See the coffee link for more on the art of ordering and getting what you want.
Go back to the gardens facing the basilica and you will find that to the left and up the hill are the steps and the funicular (a type of elevator/train) which you can ride to the top. The funicular does not carry the stigma of the little white train, so you can use this service and still retain your dignity, but the real traveler will scoff at such modern contrivances and take the steps. The steps are of the classic Montmartre variety--- steep and lined by pretty lampposts and deciduous trees. If it's winter and it happens to be misty, you will feel like you are in a 40's film or a Bresson photograph. *Notice the beautiful apartments you wish were yours facing the incline. At the top, turn right and you will find the 10,000,000 other people who had the same idea you did that morning. Despite the crowds, the view is the most spectacular in Paris. At night, the view is even more impressive and if you have managed to end up there with a lover, new or old, consider yourself lucky to be at the top of the food chain! Take a bottle of wine and rest assured that no bar in town has such good seating. In the summer there are often street musician who perform at the bottom of the steps, using the architecture as a kind of natural amphitheatre with an already captive audience. If you are a pretty, single girl, chances are you will have to fend off (or accept) the hopeful chatting from eager groups of young north Africans. If you are a single guy, chances are you will be trying to chat up that same single girl on the steps with the notebook and pencil and dreamy look in her eyes. You will have lots of competition, and she, lots of attention. Good luck to both.
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