Bon Voyage: Paris / Village Faidherbe
The first in a series of neighborhood spotlights. Bienvenue to my quartier!
After calling Paris home for almost a decade, I’ve accumulated a lot of little stars on my Google Maps. These favorites cover both sides of the Seine and are spread amongst Paris’s 20 arrondissements, which unfurl out from the center like an escargot. Within them are a handful of microneighborhoods—“quartiers” as they’re commonly called—that are almost like little villages. As we inch closer to the 2024 Summer Olympics, I’ll be sharing suggestions for how to best spend time in some of them. Feel free to choose your own adventure and show up when/how you’d like; the itinerary is meant to be a suggestion based on local intel and personal experience. We begin, naturally, with my quartier. Allons-y!
Getting Here and Around
The main metro station that anchors “Village Faidherbe,” which encompasses both the 11th and 12th arrondissements in between Bastille and Nation, is difficult to pronounce: Faidherbe-Chaligny aka “Fay-dayrb Sha-lyn-ee” (Line 8). Ledru-Rollin (also Line 8), Charonne (Line 9), and Reuilly-Diderot (Line 1) are nearby, too. Bus 86 will take you across the river to Saint-Germain-des-Prés and 46 will take you up towards Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord.
Early Morning
Unless it’s Monday when it’s closed, start with a walk through Paris’s only daily market, Marché d’Aligre. Get there before 10 to avoid crowds and to peacefully pick up produce at the outdoor stalls. Pop inside the covered Marché Beavau for cheese, meats, and other artisanal goods. Then, swing over to Mokonuts for breakfast. While most people go to this popular spot for a weekday lunch (and book weeks in advance), the pro tip is to go between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. for Moko’s yogurt bowl or Omar’s labneh toast or sourdough waffle with egg—sans reservation. If they’re full, or just not serving that day, which is a thing that happens in Paris, and you’re still in the mood for a hearty breakfast, try Aube a few blocks away. American Carrie Solomon’s veggie-focused fare is superb. (Like the market, it’s also closed on Mondays, though. Honestly, just maybe don’t come to VF on Monday. :)