Left bank (Carin Olsson)
If you’ve ever dreamed of living in Paris, chances are you’ve thought about where. A funky Montmartre studio with a view? Perhaps a swank one-bedroom in the 6ème with herringbone floors and marble mantles sends your heart racing? Whether you’re more Marais hideaway or St Germain Haussmannian, it turns out that where you live in Paris says quite a lot about you.
Left bank (Carin Olsson)
Right bank (Carin Olsson)
Most Parisians are deeply devoted to their neighborhoods and can wax poetic on their unique charms. As to whether they prefer the Rive Gauche or Rive Droite, ask any Parisian and you’re sure to get an opinion. Having now lived on both sides of the Seine, I’ve got a few of my own. Here’s how to decode the meaning behind the coveted Parisian address.
Sara Berger
Left Bank Lovely. Feel like donning an Hermes carré and enjoying a taste of old school Paris? The grand cafés of St Germain des Pres await. Alas, de Beauvoir and Sartre have long since fled but the swooping waiters and retro vibe are still reminiscent of the Left Bank’s intellectual heyday.
Left bank (Carin Olsson)
Right bank (j.hietter)
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While literary Montparnasse is now a nostalgic figment, the Sorbonne still hums with a heady intellectualism and the Latin Quarter’s vintage bookshops cling resolutely to its smaller streets. Look past the glitz into the little streets behind the Pantheon to find a slice of ancient Paris just waiting to be rediscovered.
Île Saint Louis (evelina ander)
Right bank (Carin Olsson & FXTC)
And then there’s that garden. A visit to the Luxembourg Gardens in spring will make a Left Bank lover out of any diehard Right Banker. Kids still push wooden sailboats with sticks as lovers wander under its shaded canopy of elm trees. Every true Parisian loves the Luxembourg Gardens.
Right bank (Carin Olsson)
Left & right bank (Carin Olsson)
Food and Fashion. But if the Left Bank is lovely, the Right Bank has the buzz. From supperclubs and concept stores to art galleries and wine bars, if it’s new and happening, it’s probably on the Right Bank. The best young chefs have set up shop in the 10th and 11th and the cool kids while away the hours along the Canal Saint Martin. The bars around Bastille hum at all hours and the bustling marchés burst with life and color. Life’s a rich mosaic here and seems less hemmed in by the rules of Left Bank Paris.
View from the right bank (Leo-TX)
Left & right bank (Carin Olsson)
As for me, I’ll always love the Right Bank and feel invigorated by its street art, surprises and small artisans who ply their craft in little kitchens and hidden ateliers. It’s where I first fell in love with Paris and for that, I will always remain true. A recent stroll down the rue Vieille du Temple was the perfect reminder: it’s artsy, historic and beautifully imperfect all at once.
Right bank (Sara Berger)
Left bank (Carin Olsson)
And so that day, I crossed back over the Seine with a twinge of regret. Then the majestic lawns of Les Invalides – where my kids romp happily and we enjoy our summer picnics – spread out before me and I felt that bit of love for my own current slice of the city. So, Left Bank or Right Bank. Who says you can’t be both?
Sara Berger
Related links:
- The blog “A Girl, A Style” takes you on a stroll around the beautiful left bank through photographs
- For more opinions on the left bank vs. right bank subject check out Paris on Demand’s post
Written by Paige Bradley Frost for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven In.
WRITTEN BY
Paige Bradley Frost
After nearly a decade in Paris, Paige Bradley Frost swapped the Banks of the Seine for the beaches of San Diego, California where she serves as Executive Director of the nonprofit organization, Women’s Empowerment International. Still, her heart remains with the French capital where she hopes to one day return.
Thanks soo much!! A lovely selection. Beautifully assembled!!
Ok, so I am so happy I googled “left bank or right bank?” I am traveling to europe for the first time in a few weeks, and I have DREAMT of Paris my entire life. Unfortunately (or fortunatly?), we are traveling to Europe with a focus on other areas, so I only get to experience Paris (this time) for two days. SOO…. I am trying to make my short stay as perfect as possible. All your comments and details have been so appreciated!
I don’t think this divide is relevant anymore…the East/West divide is wayyy more to the point. This site has great graphics emphasizing it btw : http://dataparis.io/#
So I’m much more into Eastern Paris 🙂
As for the right/left banks, I like both but I’ll forever be faithful to the left bank, where I grew up (and not in the posh areas).
I would live anywhere in Paris, it does not matter where, but the chance to live there at all, would be totally amazing. I meet Paris in Sept 2013, for the very first time. Love the place.
Les deux! I just stumbled upon your excellent post. Merci!
My husband and I just returned home from holiday in Paris. We rented an apartment on the Right Bank near Rue Etienne Marcel but I didn’t fall in love with Paris until we explored the Left Bank. Most of the Right Bank was over crowded, especially where we stayed. We are narrowing down our list of where to spend next summer and if we decide on Paris it will be the Left Bank. “Live on the left, play on the right”
Rive Droite!
The Palais Royal garden and the galleries there around are my favourite place… Every time I get in Paris, I like to visit it very early in the morning. It is a cozy and peaceful refuge that stimulates reflections.
I can’t help it, I am in love with the left bank:)