I Love Touring Paris - The Ninth Arrondissement

The ninth arrondissement is located on the Righteven if you are not in a buying mood. This is the
Bank of the Seine River. Its land area is slightlyflagship store of an international chain. One branch
more than 0.8 square miles (about 2.2 squareeven opened in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in
kilometers). While its population is about fifty-fivemidtown Manhattan but went out of business.
thousand the area hosts over one hundred tenWhat do you want to bet that somebody got
thousand jobs and is a business center of Paris.fired?
The Olympia is Paris's oldest music hall and one ofThe competitor Printemps (Spring) flagship
the most famous in the world. It has also hosteddepartment store is just down the street from
circuses and the ballet. When business was slow itGaleries Lafayette. It is also part of an
did a long stint as a movie theater. And in theinternational chain, and its only American branch, in
1990s it was almost transformed into a parkingDenver, Colorado instead of Manhattan also went
lot. Famous Olympia performers includebelly up after only sixteen months and the building
Édith Piaf, Jacques Brel, and Jeff Buckley,is now used as a medical testing center. The Paris
but the list goes on and on.store was founded in 1865. The building is known
A different sort of music hall the Foliesfor an Art Deco stained-glass cupola that was
Bergère north east of the Olympia was builtremoved in 1939 for obvious reasons. The cupola
in the mid Nineteenth Century as an opera housewas restored in 1973 by its designer's grandson
with the name Folies Trévise. But to protectwith the aid of the original plans. The building's
his reputation the Duc de Trévise had itsfaçade and cupola are registered as national
name changed shortly afterwards. Among itsmonuments.
famous performers were the singer-dancerPigalle is centered around Place Pigalle, bordering
Joséphine Baker who wore a skirt made ofthe ninth and the eighteenth arrondissements. To
bananas and the Maurice Chevalier, but nobodya large extent it is a red-light district with some
remembers what he wore.famous nightclubs including the Moulin Rouge, which
The Neo-Baroque Palais Garnier, usually called thesports an imitation red windmill on its roof. I am
Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera) seats 2200told that the building décor has that
opera fans. Its stage can hold up to 450 artists.turn-of-the-century (no, not a 1999-2000) look.
Even if you don't like opera, you should visit thisThis club inspired a 1952 and a 2001 movie, which
splendid building with its statues and busts ofwere both nominated for the Oscar for Best
famous composers. Construction started in 1862Picture. The area attracted world-famous artists
but was only completed in 1875. The building sitsincluding Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, and van Gogh.
on a former swamp over an underground lake. ItThe area south of Place Pigalle is a center of the
took eight months of pumping just to removepopular musical instrument trade.
the water. In 1896 a counter-weight of itsOf course you don't want to be in Paris without
magnificent six-ton chandelier fell killing someone.sampling fine French wine and food. In my article I
This opera house is the inspiration for the FrenchLove French Wine and Food - An Alsace Pinot
novel The Phantom of the Opera and the musicalBlanc I reviewed such a wine and suggested a
of the same name, the longest running and mostsample menu: Start with Foie Gras (Goose or
lucrative Broadway show in history. The new ParisDuck Liver). For your second course savor
Opera, known as the Opéra Bastille is onBaeckeoffe (Meat and Potato Casserole). And as
the other, less opulent side of town. It wasdessert indulge yourself with Gâteau
supposed to replace the old one, but did not.Chasseur (Almond Cake with Raspberries and
Galeries Lafayette is a 10-storey departmentMeringue). Your Parisian sommelier (wine steward)
store dating from the beginning of the previouswill be happy to suggest appropriate wines to
century. You might want to look at the building, itsaccompany each course.
beautiful Art Nouveau staircases, and its wares