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.

I don't think they deserve to get mugged.

This is so accurate. When I lived in Paris decades ago, the available cuisine was almost exclusively French, with handfuls of Vietnamese places. Some good Senegalese (if you knew the right neighbourhoods) and of course the Merguez snack vendors all over. Whereas in the UK at the same time, in any major city you could get cuisine from all over the world, despite both France and the UK seeming to have similar numbers of people of various immigrant heritage.

I was shocked to visit in the last few years and see just how much the food scene had changed.

And other things, at the time a lot of my French friends who were black / Arab planned to leave France for countries such as the UK, Canada, the USA even other European countries as their skin colour would be less of a barrier in progressing in their career but now that has changed massively too. I see that even with our Paris office.

And even interracial couples seem higher in number there whereas my ex and I would be remarked on quite frequently there (not necessarily negatively - but being a mixed couple was seen as worthy of comment) when in the UK, well in major cities in the UK nobody cared.

Definitely agree with you that they do seem to be about 10-15 years behind us in that regard and I have often pondered why that is.

He wasn’t mugged. His feelings are not reality. I used to go to Peckham frequently, for the gym, the library, to see friends, to socialise and never once thought I was going to be mugged.

Especially not going to “brunch” 🤣

Most cities are like that. Birmingham is ace.

Great parts and not so great parts. Like any other city.

This is me and Barcelona. Hate it.

Yes that’s definitely true but have lived in Bham all my life and it’s gone downhill so much, it’s sad.

I’m a Brummie too. Still think it’s ace but some of the poorer areas are now just awful (where I was raised has changed like that in some parts.)

But then I see a lot of development too.

Still love the city and would be living there if I could actually find a job in my field!

Over all I was pleasantly surprised there were many more gangs of men hanging around ten years ago .
Indont means the sellers touting just big groups of men "hanging and staring " urinating freely etc.

This time the only place I felt distinctly uncomfortable was barbes metro near momatre

@Fnssc He wasn't mugged though you said he was "afraid he was going to be mugged" when he was going to brunch no less.

Seriously I have been going out in Peckham for years at all hours and have never been mugged.

Indeed the one and only place in London I have been mugged is Holborn.

It sounds like you live in a bubble! Parts of any city are rough and troubled.

I have heard this about Marseilles to be fair in recent years. Ex boyfriend of mine was from Nice though (he lived in London for many years) and he told me of the drug and gang stuff in certain arrondissements in Marseilles when he went there. Glad it’s cleared up a bit.

Exactly. Most cities I’ve been to in SW France was when parents had holiday home there. So Saintes, La Rochelle and Bordeaux. Jonzac was where parents place was. Very touristy but had a truck stop on the outskirts.

We didn’t see much bad stuff in Bordeaux apart from dodgy characters near station and tram stop but then again last train to Jonzac never matched up with a night out unless you stayed overnight in Bordeaux. Did that a few times.

La Rochelle to me is a marina town and very posh and full of rich people, but I loved it. Plus it had a Zara!

I liked Saintes a lot too, we saw drunkards and beggars in the local park near the river once. Just avoided them! Harmless really.

Saintes and La Rochelle also had these oriental tea cafes there (one in each town) with flavoured loose tea so much choice. Absolute havens of bliss even in the heat. Away from the crowds. Apparently the French love this, tea, who knew? And Saintes has cute shops, nice market and a Barclays bank ATM (!) and the best rose wine I’ve ever tasted in a restaurant there!

Absolutely, always have been, like many capital cities, especially around train stations.

Cobham? 😉

Rue de Lappe? I would have down the road from you in Cafe 66.

Yes, I think it was!

It’s terrifying! Give me the peace of SW London!

I think many would find that intimidating regardless of age.

It so isn’t, you need to know where to go and avoid back streets. It’s trendy. Because you could get mugged! 😬😀

I hate to say it, but I'm very much afraid either @Fnssc or her non-existent friend are either liars or the incident of scary thoughts occurred in about 1975.

One of my DC went to one of the very expensive private schools in South London, and I've spent many a day in Peckham (some at houses owned by lawyers and/or securities traders) with a nary a moment's fear of being mugged.

Lots going on and lovely housing stock there, by the way. If I was moving to London now, I'd certainly consider it.

As I said upthread, I don’t think this is the case round major railway stations in London, e.g. Kings X/StP, Waterloo, Liverpool Street, Euston etc

Not now. But I lived near King's Cross in the 90s. Which probably contributes to my current fearlessness 😆.

The most unlikely places still have stations that are dens of iniquity (based on rail travel over the last couple of years). Cologne. Innsbruck. Heidelberg.

I found exactly the same thing.

On the last trip, my husband had his rucksack stolen. They were working as a pair, it became obvious when CCTV was played back. This was a central Paris train station.

But I found other areas of Paris and suburbs similarly.

A relative recently had her phone stolen in Paris too

Completely agree, London is fine. Paris is not currently.

@crackofdoom I remember King’s X in the late 70s and 80s. I got married there in 1992 (Camden registry office) so I know what a dump it used to be