These are questions that baffle even the natives at times. Paris may be deceptively cosy, but this is a big city and there's more going on under our feet and above our heads than anyone can ever keep track of. Today's guide is tomorrow's garbage. To keep abreast of the latest news and events, forget the next 'issue' of that magazine or last year's Let's Go, and check out the best of Paris on the web! There's a site for every one of your needs whether it's weather, clubs, banking, poets' societies, finding romance, local gossip, learning the history of the Metro, or where to sell your English books and that old computer. In fact, so many businesses have their own web sites in Paris now, that you may wonder where to start.
The easiest way to quickly find enough info to make your eyes bulge is to look under the Paris in a Nutshell links. The City of Paris is the tourist bureau's official web site, with virtual monument tours and lists of all of the State-sponsored events in Paris. Paris-Anglo is a busy site with a lot of good information for newcomers to Paris, run by the writer David Applefield. The Paris Pages has practical information on transportation and schools, an interactive map, and e-postcards of Paris. The TimeOut, Paris-France Guide, and The Voice are electronic versions of periodicals that come out on a monthly or quarterly basis, with restaurant, cinema, events and arts listings. Paris-France Guide publishes the What's Up, Living in France, and Blvd Europe. Their old webmaster has just gone back to his home country, so they've been a bit slow in updating this month, but stay tuned. The Paris Free Voice is part of a larger website called Think Paris, where you can find the adorable French mini-book "Où s'embrasser à Paris?" translated into English ("Where to Kiss in Paris"). Most of these sites have chats, forums, classifieds and articles about life in Paris. Some are very commercial (Paris-Anglo, Paris-France Guide, and Time Out), and many throw so much stuff at you that you could become quickly submerged in the over-helpfulness of it all. If you just want a quick snap-shot (including his own snapshots!) of Parisian life without too much technical info, check out Ric Erickson's Café Metropole. He claims it's for the tourists, but I like the non-cynical humour of this transplanted Canadian.
Go To Page: 1 2
