While staring out the window of our glorious appartment on a beautiful Friday night, we decided to get out and explore an arrondisement by night. A friend suggested Belleville, what used to be a working class suburb and is situated in the not-so-safe 19th arrondisement, and so we set off into the night for a drink (or two) on the edges of Paris.
Belleville has undergone gentrification and is not only home to one of Paris' two Chinatowns but also has a large multi cultural community. This was definitely obvious.
Its a bit of a hot spot for night life and by the time we arrived its main street was bustling with people. We managed to find a table at a busy bar and spent the rest of the night completely transfixed by the activities of this interesting area. There were lots of homeless people (more so than normal) and a lot of street art which was actually really cool.
By the time we had our fair share of 'kir' from the menu (it is wine with a sweet fruity syrup added making for a very sweet taste) and began to head back to the metro, we realized it was probably not the safest place to be at night but definitely worth the dodgy looks to experience.
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