![]() But the City of Light is filled with countless nooks to tuck into that may not see as much light, but are as bright as the discovery of a sparkly gem. Sure, the Eiffel Tower is a matchless Paris site. It could have been in use much earlier than that though.One of the things I love most about Paris is seeing and experiencing things unique to Paris. Interestingly, Merriam-Webster Dictionary states the first use of “left-bank” in literature was in 1915. I could imagine Joyce venting and Slyvia replying, “You know what? Screw them, I’ll publish your book!” James Joyce even published Ulysses through Sylvia Beach, but she wasn’t his first choice. It attracted the likes of Hemmingway, Fitzgerald, and many others. Many foreign English-language writers and poets probably enjoyed the mother-tongue feel of the shop. In 1919, she founded the famous bookstore Shakespeare and Company. While la Sorbonne and the university district had a lot to do with the bohemian feel, the left bank wouldn’t be what it was in the early 20th century without the help of an American named Sylvia Beach. The traditional wealthy from the right bank, on the other hand, avoided the area like the plague-which it actually had, at times. Artists also flocked to the cheaper housing. Most students didn’t have any money, so housing in this area was cheap. If you want to be cool, book a room in the Latin Quarter, and when someone asks you where you’re staying, just reply, “the 5th.” Locals simply say, “the 5th” instead of the 5th arrondissement.Īlso, in literature, you’ll see it written as the shortened “arr.”. Getting tired of saying “arrondissement”? It’s a long word and, in fact, you don’t have to say it all. They had the layout changed and now they’re in the 16th. Passy was a particularly wealthy neighborhood and they didn’t want to be in the new 13th. ![]() This infuriated the residents.Īpparently, there was a saying, “they were married in the 13th,” which was a sort of snide way of referring to unmarried couples cohabitating together. When they released the plan for the new city layout, Passy ended up in the 13th arrondissement. This particular area fell within the first arrondissement in the original 12-arr. Here’s a funny historical detail about the residents of an area named Passy. ![]() This was passed into law and took effect in 1860. In 1850-60, Napoleon III began planning the expansion of Paris. The first nine were on the right bank and the remaining three were on the left bank. In 1795, Paris was divided into 12 arrondissements. Read on if you want to understand the local nuances of these terms, learn the history, and know how to pronounce them properly.īefore diving into the history of the right bank and left bank, you need to understand the significance of the arrondissement of Paris. Modern Parisians have created many local terms to simplify talking about the city-simple for them anyway. Paris is a sprawling metropolis that has been built and added to for over 2,000 years. The central arrondissements are small and they get larger as you spiral out. They spiral out from the center in a clockwise direction, starting with the area where you’ll find the Louvre and Tuileries Gardens. There are 20 arrondissements or districts in Paris. The left bank, or Rive Gauche in French, refers to the south side of the Seine river or the left side when you face West. It’s called the “right bank” because when you stand facing West (towards the ocean), it’s on the right side of the Seine river. The right bank, or Rive Droite in French, refers to the north side of the Seine river. If you just want to know which side is which and what an arrondissement is, here’s the quick answer:
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