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Original poster

To have found certain parts of Paris edgy

234 replies

Sheeled · 14/04/2026 22:24

I stayed in Belleville, which was ok. Walked ina respectable area today, there was a guy possibly in his 30s, clearly.not right mentally verbally harassing and jostling people asking for money. Didn't see much police presence anywhere.

There were big groups of men, many of whom were shouting at each other and again many looked quite unwell, around the main train stations.

Large areas around the stations smelled I mean really smelled of urine.

A lot of people seemed really unhappy and afraid.

Don't know if this has always been the case or are we simply talking about some areas. I dont think Ill be visiting again in a hurry.

OP posts:
Whatafustercluck · 15/04/2026 09:47

I love Paris, but would agree that its sketchy parts out-sketchy the sketchiest parts of London. Actually, even a couple of the more touristy areas do as well. We had an odd experience outside the Sacre Coeur, when a dodgy character grabbed my husband's wrist (the one with his watch on it) and aggressively tried to 'sell' him a bracelet. It was very obvious that he'd have taken the watch if dh had been naive about the tactics of pick-pockets and hadn't stood up to him so robustly. I mean the guy literally blocked our path and grabbed hold of his wrist! The nearest Metro to the Eiffel Tower felt quite rough too.

I said on a recent London thread that I've never felt unsafe as a lone woman travelling home late evening. I felt unsafe a couple of times in Paris, and in Newcastle when I visited last year - twice in the same evening.

BoredZelda · 15/04/2026 09:41

Fnssc · 15/04/2026 09:01

On a post about London crime a woman definitely said she felt unsafe in Whitechapel at night as a lone woman

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I live in a small town in Scotland, with a very low crime rate. I feel unsafe walking my dog in the dark bits at night.

BoredZelda · 15/04/2026 09:39

herecomesthemun · 15/04/2026 07:46

Really odd AIBU. It's a major city, of course there will be edgy bits!

Not odd. Dog whistle. Seems to be working too. Hackney, Peckham, Whitechapel bad, Kensington and Belgravia good. Funny nobody mentions Westminster which has the highest crime rate in the country. Birmingham is terrible, “tale of two halves” (coincidentally also the split on white/non white). No mention of the majority white Liverpool or Newcastle with their Hugh crime rates.

Then of course the explicit suggestion that researching which areas are non-immigrant is a good idea before you travel. 🤦🏻‍♀️ (I wonder if we should so the same when going to the Spanish costas?

ConstanzeMozart · 15/04/2026 09:36

Fnssc · 15/04/2026 08:59

If I was giving a Parisian holiday recommendations I definitely wouldn't recommend they go to Whitechapel or Peckham.

Yes the food can be nice, but I went to order some a few weeks ago and the man at the restaurant was having a hard time understanding English.

There's a reason I prefer South Kensington and Belgravia over these places.

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I definitely would recommend both of those areas. They're lively, varied and interesting.
Apart from the museums, South Kensington and Belgravia are dull as fuck IMO. Soulless, most people on the streets slightly baffled tourists, few and far between cafes and restaurants that are either rubbish or rip-offs or both.

Onlythesaneones · 15/04/2026 09:34

Ginmonkeyagain · 15/04/2026 08:17

Paris is definitely not my favourite city, but it is no more unsafe than other large European cities.

Statistically it is more dangerous than 145 other European cities.
7 French cities feature in the top 12 cities for crime rates per capita in Europe
https://www.numbeo.com/crime/region_rankings_current.jsp?region=150

Europe: Current Crime Index by City

https://www.numbeo.com/crime/region_rankings_current.jsp?region=150

GrianGealach · 15/04/2026 09:31

Fnssc · 15/04/2026 08:59

If I was giving a Parisian holiday recommendations I definitely wouldn't recommend they go to Whitechapel or Peckham.

Yes the food can be nice, but I went to order some a few weeks ago and the man at the restaurant was having a hard time understanding English.

There's a reason I prefer South Kensington and Belgravia over these places.

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You’re funny.

oldwhyno · 15/04/2026 09:30

Paris has always stunk of piss

bestcatlife · 15/04/2026 09:27

Paris is known for being very sketchy, I wouldn’t personally go.

Condbottle · 15/04/2026 09:26

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Wow. As PP says, Whitechapel has been multicultural since at least the 19th Century. How far back do you want to go for your England? Maybe when the Romans were here....? Or the French or the Scandinavians?

3isthemagicnumber1 · 15/04/2026 09:22

I’ve been visiting Paris for decades and it has always been a bit dodgy. Nothing new there. Still a great city.

3isthemagicnumber1 · 15/04/2026 09:21

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Whitechapel has been multicultural since before you were born. If you don’t like it, don’t go there!

IamRedCrossnotJesus · 15/04/2026 09:19

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What a crock of shite, Nigel.

IamRedCrossnotJesus · 15/04/2026 09:18

Fnssc · 15/04/2026 09:01

On a post about London crime a woman definitely said she felt unsafe in Whitechapel at night as a lone woman

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And there are others who say they find Whitechapel at night to be fine. Anecdotal evidence on MN means nowt.

This thread feels very reminiscent of all the "London is Scary" threads which are usually thinly disguised racism.

Fnssc · 15/04/2026 09:16

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angelos02 · 15/04/2026 09:14

I've heard Paris is almost as bad as London. Although I find that hard to believe.

tripleginandtonic · 15/04/2026 09:12

That description doesn't make Paris sound any worse than a number of cities/towns I've visited.

cheesepasties · 15/04/2026 09:09

I fucking love Paris. It’s an incredible city, been probably 15 times. OP have you not been to many other big cities before? It’s no more or no less dodgy than any other massive city. I don’t know what people are expecting - people in Breton tops and berets cycling round with garlic on the back of the bike?

Ginmonkeyagain · 15/04/2026 09:07

Gare du Nord has been horrible for ages that is true.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 15/04/2026 09:06

Autumngirl5 · 14/04/2026 22:34

We were in Paris last week with our 15 year old grandson. There were a lot of men hanging around Gare du Nord trying to sell cigarettes but we felt totally safe travelling around the city. Our grandson loved it.

The Gare du Nord is utterly grim anyway, and many French people will agree.

Condbottle · 15/04/2026 09:04

Fnssc · 15/04/2026 09:01

On a post about London crime a woman definitely said she felt unsafe in Whitechapel at night as a lone woman

Show quote history

Most women here don't seem to go out alone after dark anywhere.

For me, Whitechapel, which is ways busy, feels safer than my suburban town late at night.

Fnssc · 15/04/2026 09:01

Condbottle · 15/04/2026 08:44

Whitechapel doesn't feel unsafe, it's positively posh these days. I think travelling to other major cities makes you realise how well managed things are in London, despite what some people would have us believe.

Show quote history

On a post about London crime a woman definitely said she felt unsafe in Whitechapel at night as a lone woman

Fnssc · 15/04/2026 08:59

Ginmonkeyagain · 15/04/2026 08:26

I'm sorry, what the fuck have I just read? You search for "immigrant areas" so you know where to avoid on holiday?

Belleville is a multicultural area of Paris, it is know for great food and increasingly hipster places but it is not traditional tourist Paris. So a bit like, say, Whitechapel or Peckham.

If I was giving a Parisian holiday recommendations I definitely wouldn't recommend they go to Whitechapel or Peckham.

Yes the food can be nice, but I went to order some a few weeks ago and the man at the restaurant was having a hard time understanding English.

There's a reason I prefer South Kensington and Belgravia over these places.

Nowvoyager99 · 15/04/2026 08:51

ProudAmberTurtle · 15/04/2026 08:32

I wouldn't search for 'immigrant areas' in London but then how often do people seriously visit areas like Tower Hamlets and Brent? I don't think I've ever been to either location

Tower Hamlets is a thriving area full of tourists.

London has its problems (I’m looking at you West Croydon) but Tower Hamlets isn’t one of them.

Nowvoyager99 · 15/04/2026 08:49

Belleville is a bit edgy. Like most cities, Paris has its less pleasant neighbourhoods.

Did you not expect that?

Condbottle · 15/04/2026 08:47

ProudAmberTurtle · 15/04/2026 08:32

I wouldn't search for 'immigrant areas' in London but then how often do people seriously visit areas like Tower Hamlets and Brent? I don't think I've ever been to either location

Umm have you? Wembley Stadium is in Brent and Tower Hamlets is a very touristy part of London. Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Canary Wharf, St Katherine's Dock.