To have found certain parts of Paris edgy

[Sheeled]

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.

@crackofdoom oh god yes, Cologne HBF is a hole.

i always loved Paris and had been a few times as a young adult, but when we (as a family w then-teens) went 8 years ago I felt that it had changed a bit. We were hassled at the foot of the sacre-coeur by some dodgy character (there were loads of hustlers there) and h felt quite scared/intimidated.

I live in London so am used to big city living (but maybe I just avoid the dodgy parts!). I feel v safe in central London though.

Paris just didn’t have the same ‘vibe’ to me as it did 20 years ago, sadly. Def wouldn’t rush back.

I agree. Kings X has been majorly regenerated in recent times. The nicer a station is, the less it’ll attract unpleasantness.

A lot of very illuminating responses.
Its curious how many posts on this website seem to attract a kind of formulaically dismissive response. In this case a variation on the "FFS did you think Emily in Paris was a documentary" theme. It is as if there are a number of people scouring the website, hoping to find something they can performatively disagree with, implying naïvete on the part of the poster, thereby relatively elevating themselves.

It also wasn't long for a racial subset of posts to emerge, again with the reactive posts seemingly carrying a hint of glee at the purported uncovering of racially questionable stereotypes.

I am well aware that there are insalubrious areas in many world cities, and that historically train station proximate areas were probably higher than the control group in this respect. I found Belleville itself to be perfectly fine with some interesting cafes.
I was walking along Rue Du Temple in the Marais when I became aware of a very bulky man who was bumping into others pointing out their mobiles and asking aggressively for money. This was, of course, a single incident. I then walked towards Gares du Nord and Est. The urine stink was incredibly pervasive and unpleasant. There was a general air of unhappiness, and a kind of "you don't belong here" feeling emerging from the very large groups of men who were standing around, often in loose circles. As one poster pointed out this could be due to living in small spaces, lack of funds for cafes, or neglect of social services by the state, or at least neglect of.some individuals.

My clubbing years back in the day were in King’s Cross. The Cross and Bagleys. I recall seeing prostitutes and dealers in area around La Scala. Now it’s all been redeveloped and is lovely. There may however be undertones of crime and so on in back streets but I’ve been there a few times recently on way to Cally Road and couldn’t spot anything. Perfectly safe, even near main station area.

AI slop 🤮

They’re not in the north! The 15th is as southern as you can get.

Honestly OP I lived just outside Paris for 9 years and commuted in daily for 9 years. I had many nights out in many different areas, alone and with friends, and have never once felt unsafe. I left in 2017 for my husband’s work and was devastated to leave the place and my friends. I still go back 3-4 times a year and it feels like going home every time.

I mean talk to people who actually know the place beyond the tourist traps.

The 15th in Paris is south west, the 15th in Marseille is very much north, I was talking about the latter. I lived in Toulon for a while before moving to Cassis just around the corner from Marseille, I know the area pretty well.

‘AI slop’ because it’s longer than a sentence and sounds American (which I am)? Noted. If you need it more your speed: no, it’s not. hth.