For six years I’ve lived in the 11th arrondissement, right on the border of the 10th. When I first moved to Paris, these areas were relatively untouched by tourists. Visitors would go as far as the Bastille and maybe venture to the rue Oberkampf for a taste of its vibrant but less polished nightlife but the 10th arrondissement was rougher and far from being emblematic enough to compete with the city’s refined storybook image.
Now, both neighborhoods are products of stark and rapid gentrification which means that formerly forlorn buildings, cafés, dive bars and shops have largely been supplanted by artsy boutiques, trendy bars and coveted al fresco eateries. In a trajectory that arguably rivals Williamsburg (Brooklyn), the area along and around the Canal St. Martin, specifically, has experienced tremendous transformation, commanding more attention among travelers and locals alike than ever before.
Picnics and strolls are still de rigueur in these parts but it’s the morning meal in particular that has earned the hotspot its gold stars over the last year. Helmut Newcake (Paris’s first entirely gluten-free bakery and salon de thé), Le Sésame, La Chambre aux Oiseaux, Du Pain…
