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9th Arrondissement Guide
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Streets
The Boulevard des Italiens became very fashionable in the middle of the 19th century. It was lined with cafes and restaurants which the 'beau monde' frequented, #22 Cafe Tortoni, #20 Maison Doree, the meeting place for fashionable Paris, No. 16 Cafe Riche. The boulevard got its name from the Opera-Comique, which was commonly called 'the Italiens'. Cafe de la Paix is the quintessential 19th century cafe and was designed by the same architect, Garnier, as the Opera. It was a frequent haunt of Oscar Wilde. Nearby in Rue Scribe, where the Hotel Scribe now stands, used to be the exclusive Jockey Club and it was here the Lumiere brothers held the world's first public cinema screening in 1895. L'Olympia Music Hall, in bd. Des Capucines was where Edith Piaf achieved fame, and it is still an important venue for pop stars.
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Paris 9th Arrondissement - Opera Garnier
The centerpiece of the 9th arrondissement is the grandiose Opera Garnier a reminder of the glamorous nightlife of Paris that was once in this district with theatres, restaurants, cafes, and dance halls. Along blvd. Haussmann are the great department stores, and to the north the rather 'sleazy' area of Pigalle. Marcel Proust lived in his cork-lined room to write "Remembrance of Things Past" at 102 blvd. Haussmann.
Stretching from the place de Clichy up to Montmartre, Pigalle is a red light district with live peep shows, erotic videos, and sex shops. The famous 'Moulin Rouge' is here and the Musee de l'Eroticisme, which is actually quite interesting. Further along on Boulevard de Rochechouart was the nightclub Le Chat-Noir, made famous in the poster by Toulouse Lautrec.
What to See
Sites, Covered Passages, Museums and more
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Places of Interest
Opera Garnier
The Opera Garnier was the 'piece de resistance' of Napoleon III and Baron Haussman. Its opulence, inside and out, its mixture of architectural styles, its red and gold decor some may think a little flamboyant, but for all that, it is magnificent. It was once the world's largest theater and is famed for its 6-ton chandelier and Chagall painted ceiling depicting Parisian scenes and images from opera. Backstage is the Foyer de la Danse so often painted by Degas and beneath the cellars there lies an artificial lake, providing water for the city's fire brigade, that was the fictional grotto of Lerous' Phantom of the Opera. The Opera Garnier mainly stages ballets now days, operas which have moved to the Opera Bastille.
Cafe Theatre & Night Life
The Grand Boulevards
The Grand Boulevards were built in 1705 where the the old walls around Paris were demolished and by about 1750 the Boulevard (the original name) had became fashionable where the nobility and rich built their homes and Parisians would sit and watch the horse carriages and riders pass by. The east end, the Boulevard du Temple, became a center of theatres and dance halls, circuses, waxworks, puppets, dancers, acrobats, mechanical figures, cafes, restaurants, booths and barrows. This lasted for about 100 years.
Passages
There are some pretty covered passages off the Grand Boulevards, as Passage Jouffroy and Passage Verdeau (book and print dealers).
Museums
Musee de la Parfumerie Fragonard
The history of perfume from the Egyptians to the nineteenth century through bottles, pots-pourris, incense burners, paintings, test tubes... Presentation of plant and animal raw materials used in making fragrances, extraction techniques, the history of bottling.
Musee Grevin
Wax museum (approximately 500 characters) scenes from French history and the present day.
Bibliotheque de l' Opera National de Paris Garnier
Installed in the Palais Garnier, the musee de l'Opera promotes the heritage of three centuries of existence of this temple of dance thanks to paintings, drawings of scenery and costumes, scale models.
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What to Do
City Tours, Cooking, Wine Promenades, Photo Adventures, Private Guides & More
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See the 9th in a 2CV
Venice has its gondolas, Vienna its horses and carriages, Bangkok its tuk-tuks, and now Paris has its 2CVs! Jump into this distinctive car for a privately chauffeured open-air tour of the capital's famous squares and its lesser known districts.. Pick up from your hotel or apartment.
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Mystery Electric Bike Tours
A guided visit of a unique quality: all the famous places of Paris, but also surprising, overlooked and mysterious ones. And it is all delivered on an electric bicycle, silent and easy, just a notch beneath the wings of an angel. Push a door, and you jump over three centuries. You're in an ancient monastery in the very heart of Paris. A few steps ahead and you discover a jewel that only precious few learned people know it exists.
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Moulin Rouge
Discover "Feerie",the new Moulin Rouge review in the pure music-hall tradition.Your choice of tickets only, with 3 different menus or combine it with an illumination tour or dinner at the Eiffel Tower
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Hop On Hop Off Bus
Bonne-Nouvelle 40, boulevard de Bonne-Nouvelle, Theatre du Gymnase, Grand Rex
Grands Boulevards 14, boulevard Montmartre, Hard Rock Cafe, Musee Grevin, Theatre des Varieties
Italiens 32, boulevard des Italiens, Grands Magasins, Opera Garnier
Capucines-Scribe 12, boulevard des Capucines, Place Vendome, Cafe de la Paix, Opera Garnier
Madeleine 16, place de la Madeleine, Eglise de la Madeleine
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Where to Eat
Grand Café : Opéra-4, bd des Capuciness
In 1875, the Grand Café was already one of the 'in' spots on the grand boulevards, bustling with the dazzling lights and music of the Opera. With its Art Deco style glass roof, this shimmering brasserie brings the Paris of a bygone era back to life. The Grand Café proposes: smoked salmon, St-Jacques tart with green tomato jam or duck with olives and turnips cooked to your taste.
