What to do in Belleville and the 20th district of Paris

Let's take a deeper dive into the 20th arrondissement of Paris. This is an updated re-release of the time we visited the 20th arrondissement as part of our Paris Countdown season. 

You'll hear dinnertime singalongs, a cemetery visit, and more about the best pizza in Europe. There is even an interview with a Polish singer called Gosia who had just finished leading an Edith Piaf show at a local restaurant. (She sings on the episode, too, her fave Edith song, which was J’m’en fous pas mal).

You can find everything we mention on this post: 

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If you're in a rush, here is a narrative distillation of the episode (meaning, essentially, that you're reading about 10 percent of what happens). 

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Oliver: Let me take you back to December 19th, 1915, in Paris, where a baby girl named Edith Piaf was born on the cold streets of Belleville. She became the soul of Paris and, more specifically, the soul of the district we are sharing with you today in the far east of the city. To get there, we are taking a car, and I’m joined by my wife and confidant, Lina,.

Lina: Yes, I am ready. Welcome to a new season.

Oliver: I’m very excited. I’ve described my role this season as the Robin to your Batman.

Lina: And usually, I am the Batman, of course.

Oliver: We want to give everyone a glimpse into this interesting neighborhood where Edith Piaf served as the muse,. Upon arrival in Belleville, we stayed at the Babel Belleville hotel. It was immediately clear that this is a different version of Paris than the one people expect with berets and the Eiffel Tower.

Lina: Especially since we arrived on market day.

Oliver: The market was busy, bustling, and colorful, with more people than I’ve ever seen in a Paris market. We were in full tourist mode, talking to street sellers and eating what seemed like an Algerian Korean crepe,. The area is very diverse and immersive,. We also noticed that as time passed, there were far fewer tourists than in areas like the Marais.

Lina: The shops aren't catered to tourists either; many were residential or even closed down,. It’s a real, unpolished neighborhood.

Oliver: Our plan was to explore for the day and then attend a show at Le Vieux Belleville. The 20th is a large district, so we did a lot of walking. We set our sights on Peppe’s Pizza, which is ranked the best pizza in Europe. On the way, we passed the Père Lachaise Cemetery, which is essentially the only major tourist attraction in the district.

Lina: I used to live in the 20th and had visited the cemetery a few times years ago, but it is just so big.

Oliver: No one should miss it because entering those gates feels like entering a different world. However, it is not wheelchair or push-chair friendly due to the huge cobblestones,. While the most famous grave is often cited as Jim Morrison, I went looking for the ultimate hit: Edith Piaf,. Her grave is somewhat unassuming, much like her famous little black dress. After the cemetery, we finally had that pizza, which lived up to the hype with its unique toppings like cheese and marmalade,.

Lina: It was delicious.

Oliver: Next, we looked for La Campagne à Paris, the "countryside of Paris". It’s a remote area with cottage-style houses built on top of old quarries, which is why the buildings are so low,. Our cab driver even gossiped that the previous president, François Hollande, lives up there.

Lina: It was lovely, though since it’s winter, there were more sticks than greenery. It’s a great spot for a 15-minute walk and an Instagram photo.

Oliver: That evening, we went to Le Vieux Belleville. We were worried it might be cheesy or touristy, but we ended up staying for three hours,. I managed to warm up the owner by telling him he looked like George Clooney,. Every Tuesday is Edith Piaf night, featuring an accordionist and a wonderful Polish singer named Gosia,.

Lina: The vibe felt like crashing a French family's dinner party,.

Oliver: We were the only foreigners there, but everyone was dancing and singing together. It was an utterly surprising amount of fun. Afterward, I stepped outside to interview the singer, Gosia,.

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Oliver: Gosia, that was a wonderful performance. How did a Polish woman end up singing Edith Piaf in Belleville,?

Gosia: I started learning French by singing her songs. I adore the "gut" emotion in her singing; she comes from the streets. Piaf is an icon, but not many people really listen to her music anymore.

Oliver: What makes a good crowd for you?

Gosia: A crowd that realizes they actually can sing along. I know the evening worked if people are exchanging phone numbers and talking to their neighbors by the end. It’s more of a ritual than a concert.

Oliver: What is your favorite Piaf song?

Gosia: My favorite is "J’m’en fous pas mal".

Oliver: You also mentioned this is the best district in Paris.

Gosia: It is getting gentrified, but it’s a lovely, mixed, working-class area where Piaf was born. It has the real life of the neighborhood and an original Parisian feel,. We need to enjoy it while it lasts.

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Oliver: Le Vieux Belleville really captured the vibe of the neighborhood. My only complaint was that the lighting was a bit too bright,. Afterward, we walked down to Rue de Belleville and visited a bar called Aux Folies where Piaf used to perform,.

Lina: That bar has a great "old Paris but young vibe" with neon lights. It’s very picturesque, but don't expect fancy cocktails—it’s all about cheap drinks and fun.

Oliver: We stayed at the Babel Belleville, which has an international, "multi-culti" vibe that represents the 20th well,. The next day, we visited a brand-new cafe called The Dancing Goat, run by a young British guy,.

Lina: The cafe was beautiful and fresh. Regarding the street art, it was cool but perhaps not as much as I had hoped for.

Oliver: I think the 13th arrondissement might be better for street art, though Rue Dénoyez had some huge murals,. Finally, we decided to rank the district based on five categories: Strollability, Affordability, Sharability, Touristability, and Accessibility,.

The Scores:

• Strollability: Oliver (4), Lina (3) — It's too big and has too many hills.
• Affordability: Oliver (10), Lina (10) — Probably the cheapest in Paris.
• Sharability: Oliver (5), Lina (4).
• Touristability: Oliver (3), Lina (5) — Lina liked the views and the bars,.
• Accessibility: Oliver (3), Lina (2) — It's quite far from the rest of Paris.

Oliver: My total was 23, and Lina’s was 26, giving the district a 49 out of 100,.

Lina: It failed!

Oliver: It’s not a fail, it’s just a very residential district. I probably wouldn’t stay here on a first trip to Paris, but it’s a great experience if you've been here before. Join us next week as we head to the canals of the 19th Arrondissement.

Oliver and Lina: Bye-bye!