Belleville (line 2 & 11) is a magical part of Paris. It’s also a part of Paris where you almost feel like you’re not even in Paris anymore. That is the beauty of Belleville. This week we wandered over from the Canal to take some pictures on Rue Denoyez- a street filled with graffiti, and not far from an even more immense representation. Surrounded by ethnic vendors and hole-in-the-wall shops, you can find precious cafés with open seating such as Café Aux Follies. If you wander from the metro north alongside the Café Aux Follies- take a right onto Rue Denoyez, crossing the alley and at the end taking a left, and then another left when you see an empty area. This abandoned lot is filled with graffiti, where once upon a time I took these photos years ago in the same spot:When I first came to Paris I was taking a course combining two different disciplines : Politics and Comparative Literature – but all concerning Paris. One of our first walking tours we went to Belleville, described as one of the parts of Paris where so many artists and citizens of different cultures, nationalities, and backgrounds could live together in one area. To this day it still bears a strong mix of different cultures which reflects the feeling you get when walking through Belleville.

More to come on Belleville and the 19th and 20th in the future. I’d love to explore more around there and go up towards Buttes aux Chaumont and the canal (easing towards the 10th arrondissement). There is so much to see, jeez.

“Belleville is not a zoo, it’s a jungle.”

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