20th Arrondissement - Ménilmontant: Paris

Now just because the highlight of this arrondissement is a cemetary (Père Lachaise) doesn't mean that this neighborhood is dead. It is in fact one of the up-and-coming neighborhoods of Paris. It is, of the arrondissements, the most recent to be incorporated into the city of Paris and is drawing a younger and younger population to its hip Belleville and Gambetta neighborhoods. Up until recently it was just the place where you would go to visit the graves of Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Heloise and Abelard, Moliere or Edith Piaf, but now with the lively club and bohemian scenes in Belleville, all that is changing. This is one of Paris' greenest neighborhoods with dozens of parks including the Park Belleville within its bounds. Place de Jourdain is a local favorite as are the quaint old building of l'Hermitage. It is probably one of the most interesting neighborhoods to to walk around in with hundreds of small quaint stores lining the Rue des Pyreenees from top to bottom and every place in between. It is a quiet and relatively calm arrondissement far from the maddening crowds of Paris but with all the more charm and life because of it. © NileGuide