Friday, December 19, 2008

Jewish Love

I only have ten days left in Paris and it's just hit me.  Soon, I won't be able to casually see the beautiful Pantheon building as I stroll to the bar with friends or grab a crepe at the nearest corner just because I want a snack.  

I've been spending these last few days exploring parts of Paris that I didn't get to too often, like the Marais.  It's right in between the 3eme and 4eme arrondissements and very easy to stumble upon without even realizing you're there.  The area is known for it's Jewish culture and quirky shopping.  

The first time I went here, I was dying for a bagel and lox because I heard of the abundance of Jewish delis in the area.  However, I couldn't seem to find any B+L because bagels are literally NOWHERE to be found in Paris.  So instead, my friends and I went into Micky's Deli because it looked cool from the outside.  We didn't look at the menu before hand, which we should have, because all they sold were hamburgers for 17 euro, sandwiches for the same price or salads (but who gets a salad at a Jewish deli?).  We all splurged a little for a designer spicy beef burger, which came with a big blob of baba ganoush, a fried egg on the burger, a pickle and a ton of fries.  

The Marais is also great for vintage shopping.  I came across two stores, both of which were packed with second hand clothes that were very reasonably priced.  One is called Coiffeur (right near Micky's Deli) and has loads of leather boots for 35 euro/pair and all the flannel shirts you could dream of.  Expect to hear James Blunt playing on their stereo.  I got myself a pair of dark red slouchy leather boots which I wore out that night.  The other store is called Frip Irium, which I didn't spend as much time in, but this one has more space to shop and lots of sequins...think figure skating costumes and 80's club tops.
Another store I got a kick out of was Noir Kennedy.  I guess this is the Trash and Vaudville of Paris, where all the toocoolforschool punk-rocker kids shop.  The guy working there was tall, skinny, mohawked, pierced, denim-studded and all around intimidating looking, but he gave me a friendly "Bonjour."  Gotta love a hardcore dude who speaks French.  Great selection of band tees, Cheap Mondays jeans in every style and my personal favorite: pants that were leggings and jeans fused together, with prints like neon yellow with black lightening bolts or pink and black leopard print.

2 comments:

  1. that baby holding a cheeseburger is mad creepy, is that what i have to look forward to in france haha.

    but i'm so excited!!!
    post lots of french things

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  2. ... Concerning "Frip'irium" I agree with your comment,it's a really nice shop, very clean , with a lot of things like boots, coats for men and women, trenchs, jackets, sequins etc etc and the boss is very nice with customers... Taste it, I'm sure you'll like it
    friendly...
    Mariam

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