The Other Paris – The Other Side of Paris

(Last Update: 10.09.2024) My purpose in writing Pariste.Net has always been to try to reflect the corners and corners of Paris with all their beauty to those who come to visit or live in Paris. Sometimes I get comments saying, "Paris is not such a beautiful city, show us the ugly face of Paris, the Other Paris." First of all Pariste.Net is a travel and life guide written about Paris.. When travel is a priority, its touristic value outweighs. The life guide section develops within the framework of sharing information for Turks living in Paris, aiming to experience the city to the fullest.

But for some reason, some people want to see the Other Paris, too. Because they cannot believe that there can be such a beautiful city, or the Paris they have experienced is not such a beautiful city; I really don't know about this; Because Paris, where I have lived all this time, has always been beautiful paris It was. Even so Doesn't Paris have an ugly face? Of course there is… That's why, in this article, I want to look at the Other Paris and tell what I see from this perspective:

When I first came to Paris as a tourist, what I thought was that it was a crowded and dirty city. Just as I was overwhelmed by Istanbul back then, I was in search of peace and tranquility, and what I was looking for was not found in Paris, which I knew as a tourist. Paris was crowded, especially the subways were very dirty. But after I started living in Paris, Paris didn't seem so crowded and dirty to me. Because I had now managed to get away from the touristic areas and create a different Paris for myself. A very decent life was going on in the neighborhood where I lived and the areas where I spent my time. Just like my old life I once lived in Istanbul. 

Back when I loved Istanbul without question, there were dirty and crowded places in Istanbul, some of the people were uneducated and disrespectful, but in our own Istanbul, these disturbing elements did not exist or were extremely few. In our world back then, our living space was much larger. Then, over the years, the circle got narrower and narrower, and when it became unlivable, the project of living in another part of the world, in another city, was already implemented. This A Year in Heaven You already know from my article.

Therefore, some parts of Paris are uninhabitable, but this city offers its vital wealth to you with all its generosity for those who want and have the opportunity to build a beautiful world for themselves. No, I'm definitely not talking about material wealth here. Yes, wherever you go in the world, Like all expensive metropolises, it is very difficult to live like a human in Paris unless you have an income above a certain standard. But even if you live at student standards, this city offers you rich opportunities where you can enjoy life for free or for very low fees. Of course, it also depends on what you enjoy doing in life.

But I say, If you remain below a certain income level, a very difficult life awaits you in Paris, depending on your life expectations and priorities.. So many people living on the streets homeless When you see people, your heart breaks. But, as in all middle-class bourgeois moral systems in the world, when you see such a homeless person, you either ignore him or pay a few cents from your pocket. you did a great favor You think about it and ease your conscience, or you just say "oh my god" and feel sorry for your situation. a good and conscientious person You think you are. Then you pass by, but that person continues to lie in that subway corridor.

Like all great cities, the Other Paris is brutal.: Also in Paris “see you fall once“No one can hold your hand. Although I would like to think that these people are under a certain security umbrella within the framework of the state's social security system, it is still impossible to understand why societies turn a blind eye to homeless people living on the streets in this world where there is enough space for everyone. Actually, I think this is the situation in today's Turkey. When you are hungry or exposed, the number of people who will share their home or soup with you is rapidly decreasing. Believe me, not much has changed in Paris. People sleep on the streets, in tents, under cardboard boxes, in the hot and unhealthy ventilation covers of subway grates, or underground in subway corridors...

There is also the epidemic that started in November 2018 and is effective throughout France. Yellow Vests (jile jon) There are protests, you know. These protests, which we can translate as "Yellow Vests" or "Yellow Vests", first started with a protest against the additional tax added to the fuel price, and then turned into a general protest about the high cost of living and injustice in income distribution. Starting in December 2019 general strike It was one of the factors that negatively affected life. Then in 2023 Large-scale protests and strike wave against Macron's increase in retirement age It has begun to affect daily life... From time to time, for these and similar reasons, people may resort to protest methods that paralyze life. I mean, in Paris too trouble of life, it is equally difficult and difficult as everyone else in the world suffering from globalization.

In the subways, you come across beggars who tell long, memorized stories with a melodic tone. Some say they just got out of the hospital, some are homeless, some ask for wine money, some ask for a restaurant voucher, some are crawling on the ground with half their bodies missing, some are wearing clothes as if they used to be princesses and then fell out on the street. profession performs. Some people believe it and give a few cents, some laugh at it, and some don't even turn their heads...

The metro of the Other Paris is not very clean; Let me tell you what you want to hear: Paris Metro it is dirty… It is not easy to keep so many stations clean, which have been at the service of Parisians since 1900 and have reached a magnificent transportation network today. Yes, in Turkey - thank God - the subways are clean, but what will it be like in Paris in a hundred years? We won't be able to see it anyway :)

Especially to the Other Paris pollution caused by homeless people and drunks Metro stations become even dirtier when they are added. No, I do not use this expression as an insult; Sometimes a drunk, sometimes a homeless person can recklessly urinate in the subway corridors. Later condition condition That smell doesn't come out. This job can be very disturbing... There is no toilet service in the subways like in Istanbul, that is a big problem. There is also the garbage thrown away by careless people; evenings metro, actually more RER The wagons can be quite dirty…

Even so Paris metro It takes only a little water and soap to clean it, but it took a hundred years to build these lines that surround the bottom of the city like a spider web. It is not an easy task, both to do it and to ensure its maintenance and cleaning. A man from seventy-two nations of the world... However, of course, this does not justify being dirty...

There are plenty of them on the streets with dog shit you may encounter. The municipality constantly cleans it, but owned dogs also constantly pollute it. Usually the owners clean it, but most of the time it is not cleaned. Although the situation is similar in Istanbul now, but there you go... One does not want to encounter such views while on vacation in Paris.

And also do Sometimes the problem can go beyond being a problem. Especially in the dark at night, Eiffel Tower around the mouse, sometimes to the pack of mice You may come across it. Although I've seen it once or twice in ten years, but ultimately There is also such a problem. some Champs-Elysees He says he saw a mouse in Istanbul, but as far as he's concerned, I'm in Istanbul too. bagdat StreetI saw a mouse in 🙂 Of course, none of it is nice...

Of course also stations and surroundings As in all European cities, there were not very nice places in Paris. In fact, I think there was only one Gare du Nord East Railway Station The areas between and behind are unpleasant places in this sense. The people on the streets are very parisian not but pickpocketing I don't think you will encounter a more serious danger other than this. Especially the Saint Lazare Station and its surroundings extremely decent It is a region. Gare de LyonIn my opinion, the back side of 's is not a very preferable place, not only in terms of architecture, but apart from that, I personally do not see much of a problem around the station.

pickpocketing Speaking of which, I would like to make a few warnings on this subject: Pickpocketing and theft are a big problem in Other Paris, as in many world metropolises. Especially tourists who lost themselves in admiration with the beauties of the surroundings, or who, tired of traveling, took shelter in a cafe, spread out on chairs and sofas, and threw their belongings left and right. The group most targeted by experienced pickpockets It usually happens. Sometimes a valuable item or your wallet is taken from your bag, sometimes from your pocket, and then money may be taken from that wallet and put back into your wallet; You realize too late that you have been robbed. What to do in this situation Consulate General of Paris and What to Do in Emergency Situations I tried to explain it in detail in the article.

I request you to take good care of your bags, pockets and belongings. As someone who had his wallet stolen in Madrid, had his brand new mobile phone stolen in Paris, dropped his wallet in Bari, and had his huge suitcase taken from the trunk of his car in New York, I specifically ask this from you :) Because what goes away does not come back. Especially StarbucksPay attention to people sitting at adjacent tables. Sometimes, a very well-dressed person can steal valuables from your bag or pocket, even when he is sitting in the next chair with his back turned. extremely in Paris in October 2017 style a cafe restaurant The Recycleriewell in professional somehow my bag was stolen. Inside my wallet, my residence card and most importantly, my brand new Macbook. There was. He went away... When I wanted to show the security camera footage to the police, he was not even interested; he just kept records; The theft case has been recorded, that's all... The police no longer catch thieves, they just issue official documents for you to get money from the insurance.; Of course, if you have insurance. However, the camera recording was so clear that I would recognize the man if I saw him on the street today. Anyway, in November 2019, right in front of the station in Brussels, a purse snatcher on a bicycle snatched my mobile phone and left; Once again, the police report, the formality of preparing insurance documents. There is not the slightest effort to catch up, those who went, went, went...

Another tactic of pickpockets is When you leave your mobile phone on your desk, they come to you and leave a piece of paper on the table to get your signature for an association; Even if you do not sign, they can take your phone or other valuables from the table while taking the paper back. Sometimes you come across this along the way and say "Do you speak English?" and enter into conversation They're trying to make you sign a paperWhile you are fighting with them, a valuable item of yours disappears. Also Montmartre on the outskirts, for example Square Louise-Michel Parkof niggas in put a rope on your arm Then he may ask for money or distract you for pickpocketing purposes; Be careful, don't let this beautiful holiday leave behind unpleasant memories. from this topic A Week in Paris I mentioned it in my book, but my editor asked me to remove the term "nigger" from the text: The word "nigger" could be perceived as an insult. I've never thought of it that way in my life, though. Well then this is me black, dark-skinned, african-american, dark-skinned How do I tell friends to pay attention? I couldn't write about it in my book, but let me warn you more clearly here: Especially Please beware of black pickpockets trying to make close contact with you in Montmartre.

However, if you open your eyes, this time they may cause a sudden commotion in the subway, divert your attention and try to take your valuables in a momentary move; with these aspects organized illusionist I say to them. You have to be really careful; not only in Paris, but all over the world… Your mobile phone or wallet can even go in the front pocket of your jeans, let me tell you.

Sonra The summers are short, the winters are long and cold. The other Paris. The sky sometimes turns gray for weeks, evening falls early in winter. In summer, the days are endless. It doesn't seem like it's raining much, but this gray sky is bad. It even gets so cold sometimes, Twitterin “I support global warming"Or"What if we have global warming?" I wrote jokingly; Just so we can warm up a little bit 🙂 Sometimes there is an extreme heat wave and since Paris was not this hot in the past  There is no air-conditioned lifestyle either.; You will be boiled and cooked everywhere, and you will have difficulty finding shelter. Of these topics When to Go to Paris? I have already mentioned it in full detail in my article…

People from seventy-two nations live in this city.. You wouldn't believe the diversity of people on the streets. I've seen it before in New York Such a crowd of people are not similar to each other. Types, clothing, behavior, smells are all kinds. It is both enjoyable and difficult to get used to. Until I settled in Paris, I thought I was living in a country with a "cultural mosaic", but when I came to Paris, I understood much better what mosaic was.

Sonra The other is in Paris beastly neighborhoods There are, and the majority of these neighborhoods are on the east side of Paris. The most unpleasant area in the periphery - in my opinion - Barbes-Rochechouart and is the line that continues towards the north. Montmartre HillThis region, which falls just to the east of when choosing a hotel It misleads people a lot. When you try to make a reservation, you may be happy to imagine that you will stay somewhere close to Montmarte, but the reality is different. Here, a dense black population, an unpleasant atmosphere, a hawker culture and its own crowds offer you a different Paris; My path almost never passes there. M4 metro The line continues in the northern direction starting from Barbes and the last stop is ClignantcourtWhen you come to , you feel In a worse Paris you will find it. However, it is famous Paris Flea Market – Marché aux PucesTo go to , you need to get off the metro and walk this road. If you didn't see the French architecture buildings around you, you would swear that you were in a forgotten place in the middle of Africa. I don't like walking this way either, but it's the most practical way to go to that delicious flea market.

Sonra Belleville It has a side. That region is a neighborhood where Far Easterners are concentrated, which - in my opinion - undermines the aesthetics of Paris, and which some find very "authentic". Both Far Easterners and prostitutes, and a strange "bohemian" population complete a different atmosphere in this region, which I do not like very much. As you can imagine, I almost never go there. Whereas Belleville Park, Buttes Chaumont Park ve Edith Piaf's House It's just two steps away, what a beautiful place, but Place de Fêtes There is, for example, M11 metro What an unpleasant square a stop on the line is; Surrounded by large, soulless buildings, the people wandering the streets are an unsettling, if not dangerous, profile. Still I would like to say, To date, I have never experienced an environment where I felt unsafe in Paris. What I am talking about are only sociological and perhaps more aesthetic concerns. Well, a person who falls in love with beauty in Paris wants everywhere to be that beautiful, but unfortunately life doesn't always treat everyone that fairly.

Another part of Paris that I don't like is Or rather, let's say I didn't lose my way, La Villette basinthe west side of M7 metro It is the west of the section where the line continues from Stalingrad to the northeast. Especially on the Crimée side, there is perhaps the ugliest building in Paris. Although right nearby Cent Quatre – 104 It's a must-visit culture and art center, but people don't often go there.

Porte d'ivry in the area where the far east neighborhood is located on the a series of soulless high-rise buildings It's just as unpleasant. Moreover Eiffel Towerjust west of Swan IslandSo are the unattractive buildings opposite the building, built for the production of contemporary housing. The life that never flows around them… Of course, there is also a person stuck in the heart of the city. Montparnasse Skyscraper Yes, that is a separate topic of discussion... What is beautiful and what is not in Paris? Where to Stay in Paris I already talk about it a lot in my article.

Maybe pickpocketing has always existed in the Other Paris, but according to the observations of the locals of the city, especially after the Balkan countries entered the European Union and their citizens started to benefit from free movement, as many decent people as decent people, sinister People also started to flock to Paris. Especially An interesting profile from Romania and Bulgaria, has disturbed the peace of the streets. Even in the middle of Paris Turkish Quartereven in blow your horns they are working. I don't know, maybe this is a struggle for survival in this wild world...

Yes, it is possible with  Turkish Quarter Speaking of which, even if it is a small place in the city, there is this kind of ghettos available. Although the place we call the Turkish Quarter hosts a profile that mostly represents the east of Turkey, you can feel like you are in an eastern city of Turkey in the middle of Paris. Two steps away is the dense African population, their famous crowded hairdressers, piles of hair in front of the doorsUnfortunately, they all create a really unpleasant image.

Turkish QuarterFor the Strasbourg – Saint Denis side, just below prostitution center of the city we can say. There are many women, young and old, beautiful and ugly, on the streets, as if they were a part of daily life. customer waiting… Although this environment is not unsafe in any way, it is still Romantic Paris He shows his lovers the cruel side of life. Likewise, the beautiful ones Boulogne Forest – Bois de Boulogne It also has a serious reputation for prostitution.

And also Pigalle The side is like this but there is more there sex shopThey have . It doesn't seem unsafe to me at all, I even find it extremely touristy, but still, when I see the signs illuminated with colorful neons, AmsterdamAlthough it is not comparable to 's Red Light, you immediately understand what kind of region you are wandering in. Otherwise, no one will stop you and force you to do something.hizmet" He won't try to sell it, I mean at least I haven't seen anything like that so far.

Then in the Other Paris a terrible traffic problem there. driving in parisDriving around Paris is already torture. Constant stop and go, constant traffic lights, chaotic roads, erased road lanes... Especially the ones that surround Paris. peripheral If you could see the traffic on it. More Parking Problems in Paris I didn't even mention it. Then there's the flood of cars flowing towards the airports... That's why I suggest you don't be surprised by public transportation.

Then also unpleasantness of business life Of course there is. If you come to France from another country and do not have great talents, it is not easy to get into the system anyway. in working lifeimse doesn't welcome you with red carpets. These people, who do not even approach tourists with sympathy, also to take a share of their bread The moment they sense you are coming, the situation becomes a little more complicated. For those who admire the Paris I have described so far and want to live here forever, to see both sides of the coin, I will mainly focus on the places in Paris. expat I prepared it by compiling the opinions of my friends. Business Life in Paris It may be useful to read the article.

But in summary, it should be said that Living in Paris may not be that enjoyable unless you are a student or an employee with a good income. Of course, as I always say, it depends on what you are happy with. After all Every country is selling a dream. Just as it is so much fun to watch the seagulls flying screaming after the ferries in Istanbul, but the chaos you encounter when you get off at the pier where the ferry leaves you and start diving into the city makes you feel depressed, so too in Paris. Eiffel TowerAfter watching people kissing in front of metro When you see homeless people sleeping in the corridors, you wonder “I wonder?” ' you think.

Then there is the one that left its mark on the last period. Charlie Hebdo ve November 13 attacks Of course there are events. Painful events that settled like a dark cloud over Paris and were tried to be brought down. Of course, we were all negatively affected, but as I always say, The fire only burned where it fell. Yes, security measures have been increased a little, even a little exaggerated, and for a while there will be unnecessary police on the streets. soldiers with machine guns began to wander; As if terrorism could be prevented this way. The most important thing that bothers me after these security measures is the security at the entrances of public areas such as shopping malls and museums. officious security searches happened. Fortunately, that practice was later abandoned, but for security reasons. Eiffel TowerA glass wall was built around the tower and entrances to the tower began to be made through security searches. We used to be able to pass under the tower by waving our hands and it was a great feeling, but this is not possible anymore. This was one of the hardest blows to my enjoyment of living in Paris. The feeling of unlimited freedom in Paris has ended for me..

Life is not easy anywhere, after all. I was just one of the lucky ones. Because also Cüneyt Ayral'.n my paris The main theme of the book is loneliness in paris There is a subject. As I said, I was one of the lucky ones. I never felt alone in this city loves accidentally Once you fall into the grip of loneliness, then Paris will swallow you.. It is nothing like the loneliness elsewhere. The loneliness of Paris is very crowded...

Sonra pandemic The inability of the French state to catch up with patients during the period, the intensive care units being full, the transportation of patients to other countries by ambulance, and the failure to increase the number of intensive care units over the years, also disrupted my endless sense of trust in France. I got the feeling that there is the same feeling of insecurity all over the world, with what we experienced during the pandemic period....

And the last time I posted an ad online to sell my car, I was very surprised that nine out of ten calls turned out to be fraudsters. If you are not careful and alert, you may encounter all kinds of fraud here., just so you know.

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Come on, let's make this article like this. Thus, we have looked at the issue from this perspective for those who are attracted to Paris and dream of living here. Of course, those who are thinking of settling in Paris (or any other city in Europe) have a choice other than this article. How to Settle Abroad? Dream of Living in Paris I recommend them to read my article as well.

I hope I was able to make those who wanted to see the invisible face of the Other Paris happy, even just a little :) If I think of something new or want to add, I will try to update this article whenever I get the chance. Under this article, you can write down the aspects of Paris that you do not like with peace of mind. Here we consider the other side of Paris; Maybe I couldn't do much, but you can knock Paris down as much as you want; Within the rules of courtesy, of course. “Why don't you talk about this? Come on, why don't you tell us about this?" rather than "I would like to add this and that”, “I think like this about this” in the form. As I always try to say; Style and tone are very important.

I wrote these lines, you are reading them too, who knows how many millions of people are struggling with what pain in Paris or anywhere in the world right now? I always say. Life is not fair But what can we do? While some struggle to survive in misery, others continue their lives in a luxury and splendor that we cannot even imagine. This is how we follow our own path.

Hoping to see beautiful days always.

With love

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