Pocket of Paris — Rue des Francs-Bourgois

In Le Marais, just a short walk from BHV and Hotel de Ville, is Rue des Francs-Bourgois, a chic shopping street that intersects with Rue Vielle de Temple and Rue des Archives, which is Jewish and Gay central of Paris.  Top end designer stores are in this area, including Rapetto,  Antoine & Lili, Manoush, Zadig & Voltaire, Lynne Adler, Paul & Joe Hommes, and other great stores like Oliviers & Co. (high-end olive oils), Acqua di Parma (perfume), Fragonard, and Diptyque (candles).

There are a range of good cafes, including La Perle, which is a big hangout for drinks in the evening.  The area is lively, and just around the corner is Rue des Rosiers where you can snack on falafel from venerable shops like L’As du Falafel.  Rue des Francs-Bourgois also takes you to Musee Carnavalet, and the beautiful Place des Vosges where Victor Hugo’s home may be viewed for free.

The mix of people including young designers, chic shoppers, and local gay and Jewish residents, making it a fun place to visit, with tremendous history and renaissance-age buildings to view.  On Sunday, unlike the rest of Paris, most shops are open and the streets are closed for easy walking.

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