Paris Just Wants to Have Fun

A stairway to the sky at the “Euphoria: Art is in the Air” Exhibit at the Grand Palais

in our early days of living in Burgundy, we used to go to Paris often, thanks to generous friends who loaned us their seldom-used apartment there. After they left the city we rarely visited. But we was there last year and twice this summer and suddenly I’ve noticed: Paris has changed! 

To be fair, we stayed this summer in a nice neighborhood in the middle of one of the most visited area, St. Germain, across the Seine from the Louvre and near many other famous Paris attractions. But even so, it wasn’t long ago that folks were whispering about how dirty Paris had become, with crime and homelessness creeping up.

I don’t know whether the formidable mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, or President Macron get credit (probably both), but Paris has a new look and a new vibe. And a lot of the changes are focused on residents , not just on tourists, even if it was fluffed up for olympic visitors.

An amazing paint job on the steps of the Assemblée Nationale

Look for these changes:

—The banks of the Seine have undergone a remarkable transformation. They are now fun public spaces, lined with parks, with “beaches”, with playgrounds for kids, with picnic areas. We saw pingpong tables and seating areas with chess boards, and all sorts of other games. Everything is colorful, with bright flags often marking the spot.

Along the Seine, a playground for all ages based on the TV show “Wednesday”.

—Then there are the three new swimming areas, which are hugely popular and scheduled for expansion, now that the Seine has been scrubbed and cleaned. I wrote about the new swimming holes in this post.

—Bikes are EVERYWHERE, thanks to new, dedicated bike lanes. In fact it’s suddenly a bit like Amsterdam, where you have to learn to treat bike lanes with the same respect you treat a busy city street: look both way before you step out, or you’ll get creamed. The mayor wants Paris to be a “15 minute city”, where everything you need can be found within that time frame on foot or by bike, and she’s succeeding. 

Grab & go bikes in Paris

—Fun expos abound. The playful Fondation Louis Vuitton building, a museum, held a one-man David Hockney show, complete with some wild light shows and a “moon room”.  At the magnificent Grand Palais, newly buffed and fluffed (to the tune of $500 million, a four year project), there was a high-touch show called Euphoria: Art is in the Air, that captures the new mood of the city. Multiple artists showed off “inflatable art”, mostly done with balloons of all sorts. A visit was a play day for kids of all ages.

The Louis Vuitton Foundation Museum is a happy building. Below, frolicking with balloons at the Grand Palais

—And speaking of balloons, the olympic flame, which burned around the base of a hot air balloon in the Tuileries, was a beloved feature of the Olympics. So much so that it’s become a permanent fixture. Every night when darkness falls, it rises up into the sky, flames lapping at it’s base. Big crowds gather to watch it—many dancing to the music of buskers while they wait. They lower it around 2 am.

More fun, spotted along the way:

Sailors catch a breeze at the Luxembourg gardens

In a shop window, a scooter made entirely from designer luggage

Floating beach balls at the Gallery Lafayette

Prints for sale, along the Seine

The city of Light sparkles and shimmers, just like the twinkly lights on the Eiffel Tower at night. I always seem to forget just how gorgeous Paris is—and  it has a new spirit to match its beauty.

In the COMMENTS: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité! Thanks so much for all the supportive comments on the post last time, celebraiting freedom and the principles in the French national motto. And–as someone asked–not a negative comment or email in the bunch.

Favorite READS: No books to recommend this week, but in case you missed it, do check out my guest appearance on the Retiring in France podcast, on Déborah’s site. And be sure to check out her FeelGoodFrench learning program.