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I've lived in Paris for over four years now, and I have no idea what these no-go zones people are talking about. I've never heard anyone in Paris talk about the
by kkwteh 3y ago
I've lived in Paris for over four years now, and I have no idea what these no-go zones people are talking about. I've never heard anyone in Paris talk about them. There is no neighborhood in Paris that I would flat out refuse to go to, even though there definitely a very small number of sketchy areas where I would be more on guard (the Barbès metro comes to mind). There is nothing here that is near as bad as the misery on display in the Tenderloin, or Skid Row.
I have also lived five years in San Francisco, and Paris overall feels much safer to me.
- joshgev 3y agoSeconded, lived in the Bay Area for years and Paris for two years so far. Not even vaguely the same ballpark.
- VHRanger 3y agoAs a Canadian, northern parts of Paris, (Seine-St.-Denis and some parts of the 18th) are really sketchy. Maybe not like some parts of American cities (fewer guns to start), but the 18th put me on guard in a way you'd never see in Canada. No Go Zones are complete nonsense, but there's a gradient of safety.
- nebula8804 3y agoWhat parts of the 18th? It is a historic place with artsy locales and historically was the place where all the raunchy sex shops were pushed. Are you referring to the Barbes Rochechouart area?
- VHRanger 3y agoThe Stalingrad-La Chapelle area, mainly. Yeah other parts of the 18th are really nice. Also to note, I make it a point to avoid, say, inland Baltimore or South Detroit. Whereas I did go to North Paris, which speaks the difference. But compared to Montreal/Ottawa/Toronto Paris is certainly still a level below in safety. I imagine the Japanese would say the same of Canada.
- nebula8804 3y ago>The Stalingrad-La Chapelle area, mainly. Ah ok I see. Its been a while since I've been there (2015). Its wasn't too bad back then, has it gotten worse?
- VHRanger 3y agoLast I went it had a tent city along the rail lines, people BBQ'ing metal barrels, the whole thing. It looked really rough.
- bombcar 3y agoOne thing I’ve noticed is that cities in the USA seem to grow bad areas that are considered “don’t stop, don’t slow down, run a red light at night, the cops won’t care” - whereas the cities in Europe seem to have times when an area becomes an epicenter for something, but then everyone disperses. The short video clips may seem similar, but the lived reality is vastly different.
- selfmodruntime 3y agoI also lived in Paris. What Americans get from their media as "no go zones" are areas with a large population of African immigrants or poor people. Yea, they are sketchy at night and I wouldn't go there alone if I was a woman, but it's nothing like sketchy areas I've seen or heard of in Chicago or SF.
- ChuckNorris89 3y ago>and I wouldn't go there alone if I was a woman When an area rules out half the demographic then there's no way to sugarcoat it.
- stametseater 3y ago> Yea, they are sketchy at night and I wouldn't go there alone if I was a woman, So they are no-go zones. I'm glad you've cleared this up. I can now tell my liberal friends that a Parisian has confirmed the existence of such and it isn't just American conservatives telling lies.
- selfmodruntime 3y agoThere are zones like this i very city though? Maybe start to subscribe to the bipartisan view that being a woman alone at night generally sucks.