The 2nd Arrondissement of Paris is one of the financial centers of Europe, being home to the ''Bourse'' (Stock exchange) and thus the CAC 40 index you hear about in world financial news. Other major activities in the neighborhood are journalism and fashion.

The 2nd is also home to the galleries -- covered passages lined with shops -- which are quite possibly the prototypes of today's shopping malls.

While the aforementioned are all daylight activities the eastern end of the arrondissement has an entirely different reputation, having been home to Paris' red-light district since sometime in the early renaissance.

Understand

Get in

''By Metro''

The 2nd Arrondissement is well served by ''Metro'' lines, being right in the middle of the city. Line 8 runs right across the northern edge of the arrondissement with stops every 200 meters or so. Take your pick, all of the stations are small, and unless you're making a connection just as good as another. The line connects to the 12th and the 7th arrondisements.

Line 3 runs east-west right through the center of the arrondissement, down ''rue Quatre Septembre'' and ''rue Reaumur''.

See

Museums etc.

  • la Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Richelieu. 8 rue Richelieu. etro: Bourse or Palais-Royal. 33 1 53 79 59 59. ttp://bnf.fr. eading rooms: mon-fri 9am-6pm, sat 9am-5pm, exhibitions: tue-sat 10am-7pm. ibrary: free, exhibitions ?5-?10. Especially try to visit the cabinet des Medailles.

    Architecture

    The 2nd ''arrondissement'' covers some of the nicest old parts of Paris.
  • Place des Victoires. Beautiful round 'square' with an equestrian statue of King Louis the XIVth and matching XVIIth century buildings.
  • Notre Dame des Victoires. XVIIth century church,

    History

    There have been dozens of attempts by various regimes at all levels including the city, the state and the church to chase the ladies of "love for a price" away from the eastern end of the second arrondissement, but for some reason they always come back. Interestingly, the word "bordello" originates here from the boards that the women used to subdivide the rooms they rented in houses along the '''rue Saint Denis''' and others.

    The press has had nearly as long a run in the neighborhood just to the west, and several of France's major newspapers still maintain offices here.

  • La Tour Jean-sans-Peur. 0 rue Etienne-Marcel. etro: Etienne-Marcel. pril-October wed-sun 1:30pm-6pm. 5, students: ?3, guided tour: ?8. One of the last reminants of medieval Paris outside of the 4th, this tower was once part of a castle called l'hotel de Bourgogne

    Do

    Buy

    The Galleries

    Prototypical of indoor shopping malls the Galleries got their start in 1786 when the Duke of Orleans realized that there was money to be made by renting out his cloistered garden to small shops. With their glass roofs and tiled floors they were a welcome respite to the newly emerging middle class shopper of the early 19th century, in the days before electric light and sidewalks.

    A walking tour of the galleries can easily be accomplished in an hour or so, and is worthwhile even though they are long past their glory days. Start with '''La Gallerie Vivienne''' which is the best preserved of the galleries and whose decor has been maintained in authentic colors from the era. It's really the mosaic floor which is the star of the show. The shops are distinctly upscale, and all about conspicuous consumption: a wine seller, a tea shop, and a dealer in antique books are among the highlights.

    The '''Passage Choiseul''' is a considerably more down-to-earth gallery, the passage mainly serves traders on their way to the Bourse, with the same class of shops that one might find in a pedestrian tunnel in New York or Chicago: a shoeshine stand, a newsstand, and little almost-but-not-quite fast-food restaurants.

    You can find more galleries throughout the arrondissement, including the '''Passage des Panoramas''', the '''Passages des Princes''', and the '''Passage du Grand-Cerf'''.

    Other Shops

  • Brentano's. 7 avenue de l'Opera. etro Opera. 33 1 42 61 52 50. British-American Bookshop, good choice of Fine Arts books, etc.

    Eat

    Budget

  • Exki. , Boulevard des Italiens. etro: Opera or Quatre-Septembre. 33 1 42 61 06 52. choice of soups and salads for around ?4, plates for around ?6. nfo@exki.fr. High quality fast food with an emphasis on freshness and a slight bent for the exotic.
  • Bourgainville. , rue de la Banque. etro: Bourse. 33 1 42 60 05 19. on-Sat 7am-9pm, but food is only served at lunch from 11:30 to 3:30. andwiches: ?3, plates ?12-15. This comfy little bar offers down-home cooking from the Auverge region, and after-work drinks for the financial set.
  • Rani Mahal. Rue Saint-Augustin. 33 1 42 97 53 24. This Indian restaurant is raved about by vegetarians, but serves meat as well.

    Mid-Range

  • Cafe Etienne Marcel. 4, rue Etienne Marcel. etro: Etienne Marcel. 33 1 45 08 01 03. A Costes brothers' creation but with lower prices than many of their other restaurants, the Etienne Marcel combines a creative menu with hip interior design and hip musical ambience. '''Vegetarians:''' The crispy risotto balls (''risotto croustillant'') are amazing, and pretty much impossible to make at home. 15-20 Euro
  • Le Loup Blanc. 2 rue Tiquetonne. etro: Etienne-Marcel. 33 1 40 13 08 35. pm-midnight nightly. inner for around ?25. The White Wolf is interesting not only for the fact that it's directly across the street from another restaurant called the Three Little Pigs, but also for the quality of the dishes in a style that the chef likes to call "world food". There is a vegetarian offering.
  • Cafe Moderne. 0, rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. etro: Bourse. 33 1 53 40 84 10. unch: 12:15-2:30, dinner: 7:30-10:30. enues ~ ?30.
  • Le Tambour. 1, Rue Montmartre. ttp://www.restaurantletambour.com. inner until 3:30am !. The really distinguishing feature of the Tambour is its very late hours.

    Splurge

    Drink

  • The Frog & Rosbif. 16 rue St. Denis. 33 1 42 36 34 73. ttp://www.frogpubs.com/. As you probably know the English use the word "frog" as an ethnic slur for the French. You may not know that the word "Rosbif" is the French ethnic slur for the English. Well, it seems that there are mostly no hard feelings over a pint, or so the presence of this chain of 6 English pubs in the French capital would tend to suggest.
  • Footsie. 0-12, Rue Daunou. 33 1 42 60 07 20. The drink prices fluctuate with supply and demand, just like at the nearby Bourse. Astute readers will note that the Footsie is an exchange index on the Cafe Noir. 5, Rue Montmartre. etro: Sentier or Bourse. 33 1 45 08 42 35. A particularly fine example of a Paris cafe.
  • La Cantine. 51 rue Montmartre. assage des Panoramas, Metro: Grandes Boulevards. ttp://lacantine.org/. undi au vendredi de 09h a 18h. A technology focused cafe and co-working space.

    Sleep

    Budget

  • Bed and Breakfast Hostel. 2 rue Poissonniere. etro: Bonne-Nouvelle. 33 1 40 26 83 08. ttp://no42ruepoissonniere.tripod.com. ny time. 0am. orm beds for ?18 or private rooms available for groups of 4 or more, the showers cost ?2. It's basically a big apartment done up as a set of dorm rooms with girls on one side of the hall and boys on the other, but it's comfortable and the price is unbeatable. There is one tiny room for a couple. French, English, Spanish, Hebrew, and Arabic spoken.
  • Hotel des Boulevards. 0, rue de la Ville-Neuve. 33 1 42 36 02 29. ttp://hoteldesboulevards.com. oubles with sink: ?40, with a shower: ?55.
  • Hotel Sainte-Marie. , rue de la Ville-Neuve. etro: Bonne-Nouvelle. 33 1 42 33 21 61. ttp://hotelsaintemarie.com. oubles with a sink: ?40-54, with a shower and toilet: ?60-70.

    Mid-Range

  • Hotel Bonne Nouvelle. 7 rue Beauregard. etro: Bonne-Nouvelle. 33 1 45 08 42 42. ttp://hotel-bonne-nouvelle.com. oubles ?60-70. Old World charm.
  • Tiquetonne Hotel. rue Tiquetonne. etro: Etinne-Marcel or Reaumur-Sebastopol. 33 1 42 36 94 58. 33 1 42 36 02 94. oubles with a sink ?40. Closed during August, and between Christmas and New Year's
  • Hotel Vivienne. 0, rue Vivienne. etro: Bourse. 33 1 42 33 13 26.
  • Tryp Hotel Paris Francois. , boulevard Montmartre. etro: Grandes-Boulevards. 33 1 42 33 51 53.

    Splurge

  • Park Hyatt Paris - Vendome. Rue de la Paix. etro: Opera. 33 1 58 71 12 34. ttp://paris.vendome.hyatt.com. endome@hyattintl.com. 5 star palace style hotel with a residential feel and personalised service. Within walking distance of Place Vendome.
  • Hotel Victoires Opera. 6 rue de Montorgueil. etro: Sentier. 33 1 42 36 41 08. ttp://www.hotelvictoiresopera.com.
  • Hotel Etats-Unis Opera. 6, rue d'Antin, Paris. 33 1 80 02 30 04. ttp://www.hoteletatsunisopera.com.

    Contact