The '''13th arrondissement''' of central Paris is primarily a residential and business district in the south-eastern part of the French capital, lying on the Left Bank of the river Seine. Although not usually recognised as a natural drawcard for tourists, the 13th nonetheless does hold several attractions of interest to the traveller that include the recently-completed '''Bibliotheque Nationale de France''' (National Library), now part of a major new development of the '''Paris Rive Gauche''' district, the second large-scale urbanism project inside the city of Paris. To the west of the PRG along avenue de Tolbiac is the first of these urbanism projects, '''Les Olympiades''', with its raised esplanade and the latest of the Paris Meteor (high-speed metro) stops, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympiades_%28Paris_M%C3%A9tro%29 Les Olympiades]. The southern part of the arrondissement is the "China town" of Paris, one of (or even the) biggest in Europe.
Get in
On foot
The easy walk to the 13th ''arrondissement'' from the center of Paris (''Ile de la Cite'') takes around 40 minutes, either through back streets or along the Seine promenade. It can be a very pleasant walk: you can walk across the Latin Quarter, for example, through the rue Mouffetard in the Paris/5th arrondissement.
By metro
You can get to the 13th ''arrondissement'' using 3 metro lines:
Ligne 7 serves '''Gobelins'''' near the Manufacture des Gobelins, '''Place d'Italie''', '''Tolbiac''' good entrance point for the Paris Chinatown, '''Maison-Blanche''', and '''Porte d'Italie''', '''Porte de Choisy''' and '''Porte d'Ivry'''; you will get to these three stations if and only if you take a train that goes to the Mairie d'Ivry direction. Other trains take another direction and leave Paris immediately after Maison-Blanche.
Ligne 6 serves '''Glaciere''', '''Corvisart''', '''Place_d'Italie''', '''Nationale''', '''Chevaleret''' - near the avant-garde art galleries of rue Louise-Weiss, and '''Quai de la Gare''', near the Bat-O-Far and other .
Ligne 14 serves '''Bibliotheque Francois-Mitterrand''' (near the new Bibliotheque de France), and the newest station in Paris, '''Olympiades''', the new terminus.
See
La Bibliotheque Nationale de France. ttp://www.bnf.fr/. The National Library preserves collections of historic documents of both French and international origin. It holds 5,000 Greek manuscripts.
La Butte aux Cailles. A little district within the district. Very charming little streets on a hill in the western end of the 13 district. Nice for lunching/dining activities. This is the place where the band "Mano Negra" was hanging around.
Stade Charlety. The Stade Charlety is a massive multi-sport arena, hosting football (soccer), tennis, rugby and squash matches.
Manufacture des Gobelins. 2, avenue des Gobelins. 3(0)1 44 54 19 33. Once th dye works for the royalty, it is now a museum.
Do
Stroll across the Seine on the Pont Simone de Beauvoir pedestrian bridge from the Bibliotheque Nationale to the Parc de Bercy.
Buy
Les freres Tang. venue de Choisy. The Tang brothers have the biggest Chinese grocery in Paris, occupying several multistory barracks-like buildings tucked into the Olympic housing project. They're known for giving away large balloons during Chinese New Year celebrations.
Eat
The southern part of the district, in the high-rise "Chinatown" area, is the good place to go if you like Chinese or Vietnamese food. Many outlets sell Vietnamese sandwiches; note, though, that the area is not the best for getting cheap, good quality Chinese food; Elsewhere the 13th has some other standouts.
Sinorama" alt=". venue de Choisy at rue de Tolbiac. One of many Chinese places in the outer part of the Arrondissement
Ph? 14" alt=". cross from Sinorama. for Vietnamese soups
Chez Gladines" alt=". rue des Cinq Diamants. n the Butte aux cailles. Big Basque salads and a lot of ambiance in this moderately low-budget restaurant. This place is almost always crowded on Saturday nights.
le Temps des Cerises" alt=". 8-20, rue de la butte-aux-cailles. etro: Place d'Italie. 33 1 45 89 69 48. 2? to 20? (with a sliding scale).. If you are looking for quality French food, a large choice of good and affordable wine this is the place to go. This is what we can call a "restaurant populaire" (as opposed to other posh and expensive places around) with a friendly staff, a very nice atmosphere, no way to reserve a table, just show up and the "patron" will find a place for you (arrive before 8 if you don't want to queue up especially on week ends), shut down you mobile or you will be kicked out !!!. The "Boudin a la Normande" (blood sausage) is a must, you can also get very decent goose liver and other French speciality such as "Salade de Museau".
Green Garden" alt=". 0 rue nationale. etro: Port d'Ivry. 33 1 45 82 99 54. ttp://www.greengarden.fr. East-Asian Vegetarian
Au Banquier" alt=". Rue du Banquier. etro Campo-Formio. 33 1 43 36 73 46. Decoration is quite minimalist, but the northern african cuisine of this place is delicious.
Sala Thai" alt=". 3 rue des Freres d'Astier de la Vigerie. etro Maison Blanche. 33 1 45 84 13 22. omplete dinner for approx. 35?, including beverages. delicious and genuine Thai cuisine.
Drink
Batofar. 1 quai Francois Mauriac. etro: Biblioteque Francois Mitterand or Quai de la Gare. 33 1 56 29 10 11. ttp://www.batofar.net. This little red lighthouse boat which hosts dance and chill electronic music and other multimedia cultured events has been one of the coolest spots around for some time. The dancefloor is in the hold, and the lounge on the upper deck. Of particular interest is the Sunday afternoon chillout/cookout event which spills out onto the ''quai'' (during nice weather).
La Dame de Canton. a Guinguette Pirate. ort de la gare. etro: Bibliotheque Francois Mitterrand or Quai de la gare. 33 1 53 61 08 49. ttp://www.damedecanton.com. Known for years as the ''Guinguette Pirate'', this Chinese junk has recently been rechristened with her "maiden name" as their website puts it. The restaurant and bookings are still the same, with equal parts world music, ''chanson francais'' and concerts for kids.
Sleep
Budget
All of the following hotels are located near Place d'Italie, where public transportation is excellent.
Kyriad Italie Gobelins. rue Veronese. 33 1 47 07 20 90. 33 1 45 35 25 27. ttp://www.hotelkyriadparis.com/.
Hotel Ibis Paris Avenue d'Italie. 5 bis Avenue d'Italie. .
Timhotel Italie. 2 rue Barrault.
Hotel Verlaine. 1 rue Bobillot. 33 1 45 89 56 14.
Jack's. 9 avenue Stephen Pichon. 33 1 45 85 17 34. (a very quiet street). . Jean Genet died in this hotel in 1986.
Mid-Range
La Manufacture. Rue Phillipe de Champagne. 33 1 45 35 45 25. 33 1 45 35 45 40. ttp://www.hotel-la-manufacture.com.
Mercure Blanqui Place d'Italie. 5 boulevard Auguste Blanqui.
Mercure Gobelins. 8 bis avenue de la Soeur Rosalie
Holiday Inn Bibliotheque. 1 rue de Tolbiac. 33 1 45 84 61 61. 33 1 45 84 43 38.
Holiday Inn Express Paris place d'Italie. 78 boulevard Vincent Auriol. 33 1 44 24 01 01. 33 1 44 24 07 07.
Splurge
Hotel Villa Lutece. 2 Rue Jenner.
Contact