Le Passage Brady - Paris Meets the Lower East Side
When I first moved from Manhattan to Paris, I
noticed right off the bat that something was missing. Ah yes –
diversity. Living in the 5th arrondissement, a reputedly gated and
insular community, it is often difficult to envision architecture less
perfectly symmetrical than the Cathedral of Notre Dame or the Pantheon,
or imagine the smell of something other than the fresh bread of the
corner boulangerie. It is more difficult still to recall the existence
of people who do not conform to a white, fairly wealthy, French or
American mold.
For
these reasons alone it is worth the short metro ride to the 10th
arrondissement and the sprawling boulevard Strasbourg, where Eastern
Europeans, Africans and Asians have formed a veritable ethnic haven. In
the midst of tattered buildings and busy streets (sites that the
average tourist doesn’t see) lies the Passage Brady, constructed in
1828 to bridge the boulevard Strasbourg with two equally colorful
thoroughfares: the rue du Faubourg St.-Denis to the east and the rue du
Faubourg St.-Martin to the west. I choose to enter by way of Faubourg
St. Denis – this section of the passage is covered and thus is more
intriguing than the open Faubourg St. Martin side. Both sections,
however, appear in desperate need of renewal. I am pleased to notice
that under the Passage´s main sign for "Restaurants, Epiceries (grocery
stores) et Coiffeurs (hairdressers) Pakistanais et Indiens," a smaller
sign indicates the businesses will remain open during the travaux
(renovation).Upon stepping into
the Passage’s vivid yellows, oranges and reds, I find myself no longer
in France, but on a street somewhere near 2nd Avenue of Manhattan’s
bustling Lower East Side, where I once spent many a night out with
friends choosing from an endless array of brightly lit Indian
restaurants.
I am also reminded,
as I begin to make my way down the narrow passageway and am besieged by
advertisements for tandoori chicken and saffron rice, of the sad but
familiar fate of each of us who is unaccustomed to spicy Indian
cuisine: hours by the toilet’s side. There is little time to ponder,
however, as Indian vendors, just as eager as those I remembered from
New York, attack me from all angles. I quickly learn that the Passage
Brady cannot be used for passing without also partaking. But a Little
India without the arguably excessive attention of hosts and waiters
would not a Little India be – it is all part of the ambiance.
Though
my stomach will surely begrudge me later, I decide on a moderately
priced, decently crowded restaurant named Bhai Bhai where the waiters
are perhaps a little less friendly than those mentioned above. While
two Indian men lunch to my left (always a good sign), the English
subtitles on the menu suggest that even this rather obscure passageway
claims no immunity to Paris’ predominant tourist industry. Indeed, as
the restaurant manager, Monsieur Khan, explains to me, over a tasty and
deliciously cheap chicken tikka, that while the neighborhood may be
increasingly Indian and Pakistani, those who visit the Passage Brady
represent a variety of nationalities – all of which appreciate the
Passage's culture, language and cuisine.
Quite
satisfied with my meal and complimentary chai tea, a welcome change
from the usual café, I continue on my way to what looks to be a
clothing and accessory store called Velan. Anything from tapestries, to
incense, to tableware can be found here. It also, I am pleased to
learn, sells groceries, presenting an efficient and economical way (a
substantial sack of daal lentils costs only about a Euro) to bring
Little India back home.
Returning
to the streets, I find them forever lively, a multicolored mix of races
and faces and ten languages being spoken all at once. I am almost taken
aback by the sight of a traditional French patisserie greeting me from
the corner. "Noooo" my stomach groans. Well, perhaps dessert…
Passage Brady
35 Boulevard Strasbourg
75010 Paris
Métro: Strasbourg Saint-Denis or Château d’Eau
35 Boulevard Strasbourg
75010 Paris
Métro: Strasbourg Saint-Denis or Château d’Eau
Bhai Bhai
77 Passage Brady
75010 Paris
Tel: 01 42 46 77 29
77 Passage Brady
75010 Paris
Tel: 01 42 46 77 29
Velan
83-87 Passage Brady
75010 Paris
Tel: 01 42 46 06 06
83-87 Passage Brady
75010 Paris
Tel: 01 42 46 06 06
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Lucinda Blumenfeld, originally from New York, is entering her final year at McGill University in Montreal. A self-proclaimed francophile ever since her first visit to France at the age of 12, Lucinda recently finished a year of studies in literature and cinema at The Sorbonne Nouvelle. She leaves, reluctantly, for the States this summer, with hopes to return again soon, perhaps for good.
Lucinda Blumenfeld, originally from New York, is entering her final year at McGill University in Montreal. A self-proclaimed francophile ever since her first visit to France at the age of 12, Lucinda recently finished a year of studies in literature and cinema at The Sorbonne Nouvelle. She leaves, reluctantly, for the States this summer, with hopes to return again soon, perhaps for good.
