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Escort Paris Shana's Guide to Paris Markets

I HAVE A LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARKETS. FLEA MARKETS are the best places to find inexpensive furniture and household goods. Later, the open-air food markets transformed that affair into a marriage. The abundance of good things to cook and to eat, their freshness, and the good will of the vendors gathered us in an embrace that never let us go.

After writing Markets if Provence we realized that others shared our feelings about markets. vVe talked with friends, and the idea emerged of a book about the markets of Paris. But it was not to be a book only about open-air food markets. For one thing, Americans visiting Paris more often stay in a hotel than in a rented house or apartment, and their needs are different. And for another, our foray into the subject showed us how many different and exciting markets there are that sell items other than food.

VVhat is the magic of markets? Above all, it's the opportunity to observe a social experience that is quintessentially French and indepen­dent of class. In the markets, real people fill real needs for food, clothing, tools, household goods-sustenance for the body-but also search for books, stamps, letters, and historical artifacts that nurture the mind and the soul. Moreover, there's no requirement that the observer participate (though you may strike up a conversation or two). In a market, you're plunged into an authentic experience in which you can be as anonymous as you wish, or speak up to anyone you happen to rub elbows with.

Markets are places where shoppers seek (and find) the best prices for the goods they are buying. As we define it, a market is a place where you can find a lot of the same thing at attractive prices. When-and if-you feel like spending some money, you can be confident that the price will be competitive. There is a market in Paris for fabrics, and another for old paper goods. Birds and small animals have markets of their own. Similar kinds of shops have migrated to common locations that function as markets for antiques, ceramics, fine art, textiles, musical instruments, overstocked designer clothing and just about anything else imaginable.

As for open-air food markets, there are more than sixty, each in a different location in the city and open two or three times a week all year long. Add to this thirteen covered food markets and a dozen pedestrian streets where stalls push out on the sidewalk, extending the reach of commerce. Crisscrossing the city by foot and Metro, we visited markets for stamps and phone cards, prints, leather, and used books. We already knew about the Clignancourt flea market, but we stumbled on the brocante (bric-a-brac) market near the Porte de Vanves, and the market for cloth­ing, tools, and electric appliances at the Porte de Montreuil. Over the course of many visits we became familiar with the geog­raphy of Paris. The deeper we dug, the more there was to learn. When we go back we embrace the city as an old friend whose habits and idio­syncrasies we recognize. But it's a friend who is constantly growing and changing, and who can still surprise and inspire us.

THE MARKETS ARE A GREAT WAY TO SEE PARIS WITH FRESH ~ I will take you into parts of the city where you may never have been, and show you markets whose existence you might never have guessed. The markets are in six geographic areas. The selection of our favorite markets within those areas-those that we've chosen to describe at length-is based on several reasons: most are bustling and colorful (such as rue d'Aligre); some are located in places that are interesting for cultural reasons (such as axe-Breteuil in the elegant 7th arrondissement, and Barbes in the predominantly orth African part of the city). Each of these markets offers goods at competitive prices, attracting an active local clientele. At the end of each section there is a list of every market we visited with a brief description of each. Sidebars in each section identify related places or facts of interest. In addition, we suggest some possible itinerar­ies, organized by days of the week. Finally, we provide a list of restau­rants we like, and a short bibliography.

Here are some practical suggestions for making your visits to markets easy, enjoyable, and productive:
• Always take a map. We like Parispratique par arrondissement, pub­lished by !'Indispensable. You can find it in the magazine stands in train stations and in bookstores like F AC, both as a 96-page pocket book and as a foldout map.
+ VVe get around Paris by Metro and on foot, using taxis if the weather turns rainy or our feet falter. Friends use the bus, but we find the subway quicker and easier. We usually buy a carnet (a book of ten tickets costing €10.70), because ticket booths are often inexplicably closed and there may be long lines at the machines. For visits longer than a few days, look into the electronic passes available at most Metro stations.
+ Automated teller machines (ATMs) are generally found inside or near . the entrances of banks. Money ch angers in small street booths give good service at competitive rates. Upscale shops, and some vendors in the larger markets, will take cr~dit cards. Most will take a check in euros on a French bank account.
+ Business hours are not as firm in Paris as in large American cities. The government sets opening and closing hours for food markets, but you will rarely fmd much to buy before 8 am, and the stands start to close up by 1 or 1:30 pm. Shops generally open at 10 or 11 am and stay open until 6 or 7 pm, but they may close for lunch from noon until 2 pm or later. Galler­ies and antique shops may open only three or four days a week, from late morning or afternoon to early evening.
+ In most shops and galleries, travelers can ask that the French value­added tax, or VAT of about 20 percent, be reimbursed if you spend more than € 175 in one place. This requires some paperwork, but it's not onerous. You may have to wait in line at the airport for Customs approval. However, for purchases of this amount or more, it may be worth the effort.

• We're of-ten asked if we bargain: yes, but it helps to be comfortable in French (unless the salesperson speaks English). Prices in food markets are not negotiable, though vendors often lower them dramatically in the last thirty minutes to clear their stands. If you're not sure what price you can get, there's a simple and polite way to ask: "C'est le meilleur prix?" Is that your best price?
• Some shops will ship heavy or bulky items for you. If you need your purchase quickly you'll want it shipped by air. But if you can wait a few months, it can go by sea-the preferable method if you're buying an armoire or chest of drawers.
The question of opening and closing hours of the markets is complex and can be confusing. The hours provided here come from an official publication of the City of Paris, but there may be differences by season, and by arrondissement, each of which has its own City Hall. In general, it's safe to assume that an open-air market will be open by 8 am and will
.. close at or shortly after 1 pm, even when published times are earlier or later. Covered markets observe schedules typical of food shops-open in the morning, closed for lunch, and open again from late afternoon until early evening.
The book is designed to go with you to Paris. VVe've kept our pre­sentations brief and identified people and places that caught our inter­est. But you'll make your own discoveries. Whatever your interest or the length of yOUT stay, you'll find a market to fascinate and reward you. So, bon. voyage, and be SUTe to visit the markets the next time you see Paris, and the next, and the next ...