9th Arrondissement - Grands Boulevards: Paris

It is hard to pigeonhole the 9th arrondissement, what with its Grands Boulevards, an inheritance of France's Sun King, Louis the XIV, and the legacy of the Folies Bergere and Josephine Baker, 'the Black Pearl' and situated as it is between the rich residences of 17th arrondissement while leading the way to the 18th flirting as it does with the neighborhoods of Pigalle and Montmartre. At once noble and seedy, as Paris often is, the 9th is the arrondissement which houses the magnificent Opera Garnier as well as Printemps and the Galleries Layfette -- Paris' biggest and best department stores. Tourists flock here from far and wide to buy expensive things and see the shop windows at Christmastime. The 9th has one of Paris' little treasures - the Museum of Romantic Life and several other small visit-worthy museums.  There are countless other sites to see as well as a hot nightlife along the Boulevard de Cappucines leading towards Bonne Nouvelle and St. Denis. Though widely thought of as a business district, the neighborhood is increasingly an increasingly popular place to live for young people as the prices are neither too 'cher' nor too cheap. © NileGuide