Parc des Buttes-Chaumont & Parc de la Villette: 19th arrondissement

By Arnie Greenberg The area of the 19th is relatively new, having been developed only in the nineteenth century; it grew up more recently than the old center of (Louis) Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann. It has a different, even distinctive, feel to it, yet, like all of Paris, there is enough to draw you in.

Basically residential, the 19th has all the trademarks of a Parisian community. There are some broad boulevards such as Avenue Jean Jaurès, named for a patriotic statesman, which leads to the Porte de Pantin and the “extérieur.” On one side, the Canal St-Denis goes north and the Canal de l’Ourcq heads west. At one time these waterways gave Paris a way in and out, with barges transporting goods to and from the countryside. At the point of the divide stands the modern wonder the Parc de la Villette, with its great Geode, Zenith Theatre and the Cité des Sciences.

Once the locale of a slaughterhouse and cattle market, the Villette is a transformed and futuristic urban park created only 20 years ago. It draws people of all ages to its imaginative facilities that cover what was once a run-down part of the city, over 136 acres where interest in the sciences is of prime importance.

Here the visitor will discover a science museum that contains the latest futuristic hands-on displays. It is a mecca for children and adults. In the tiny Maison de la Villette, at the entrance to the site, is a historical center with documents about the history of the Parc. In front of the great museum is a shining Geode that looks like a steel ball and contains a 360-degree, 11,000-square-foot movie screen that gives one the illusion of traveling in space. The ball is almost 120 feet in diameter and is made up of 6,500 stainless steel triangles.

The great museum takes much of the space. It covers over seven acres by itself and is the largest, most visited science museum in the world. It contains exhibits on the themes of water, vegetation and light and is a successful attempt to promote interest in science and technology. Inside one discovers a full-size model of a supersonic bomber, suspended above. Also suspended is the garden bridge that displays hydroponic gardening and exotic plants. Built within a moat, 43 feet below the level of the parc, there are walkways linking the various levels. Add a space station, planetarium library, conference center and a children’s center and you have a museum that caters to all needs and ages.

 On the first and second levels there are exhibits (Explora) that include space, computers, oceans earth and sound. A planetarium “starball” offers a unique view of space, along with a star display with an astronomical simulator. Add robots, an “Odorama,” and a flight simulator and you have one of the most comprehensive exhibits in the world.

In front and to one side of the museum is the wonderful children’s playground, equipped with a dragon slide and sand pits in a maze-like setting that children adore. On the other side is L’Argonaute, an exhibit that features a post-war submarine and a navigation museum.

Across the footbridge is the Grand Hall, with room for huge exhibitions equipped with mobile floors. Once an old cattle hall, the room has been modernized. Nearby is the Cité de la Musique, which contains a conservatory, concert hall, library and music museum. If you return on your circular journey you arrive at the Zenith Theatre, the venue for pop concerts and jazz. Here, with a capacity of 6,000 people, you sit in what looks like a polyester tent but is indeed a comfortable concert hall.

I can’t think of any site more interesting for young minds. You can easily get there by métro or you can remain after the canal ride from central Paris to the Bassin de la Villette.

Contact the parc at 40 05 81 41. It is closed on Monday, and there is an admission charge. For information about L’Argonaute, the submarine, call, 40 05 83 28

If you’ve already visited the Parc you might want to walk around the great Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, on the south side of Avenue Jean Jaurès. Take time there. It’s not a place to be rushed.

With so many interesting parts of Paris to visit, I came to the “Buttes” only recently. Knowing that it was once a garbage dump and a location for the gallows, I shied away. But once there, I realized that I was missing one of the most peaceful and unexpected havens in Paris. I went there with a picnic lunch one warm June day. Next to us, on the banks of the artificial lake, fed by a waterfall, was a group of young men enjoying a bachelor lunch. It was only a question of time before the group hoisted the groom-to-be up and threw him into the lake, to the applause of all, including us.
 
At another end of the park, wedding couples and their families dressed for the occasion arrived for photo sessions. We climbed the natural looking, rocky (partly artificial) ‘butte’ and enjoyed the view of the waterfall from the Roman-Style temple. Below, people enjoyed boating on the lake, while children rode donkeys to the delight of their parents. People greeted strangers, walked unhurried through the well-lit pathways and simply enjoyed a Sunday in the park. I couldn’t help be aware of how far the Paris suburb had come since the 1860s, when the area was still dirty and unused.

I found that while the area of the 19th was now taken over by middle- class housing, pleasant winding streets and two wonderful places to visit, it was not like the core of the city. True, there were shops, bistros and some hotels, especially on the outer edge—like the four-star Holiday Inn Paris La Villette at 216 avenue Jean Jaurès (Tel: 44 85 18 18)—but it was mostly residential and without fanfare. Car-rental agencies along the avenue Jean Jaures first brought me there. The 19th is easily reached by métro from all of Paris, but for people looking for “action,” it is outside the city’s core.

A place to stay very close to the Parc de la Villette is the 259-room three-star Forest Hill Paris La Villette at 28, avenue Corentin Cariou. Tel: 44 72 15 30.

The area is not known for its restaurants, but the unique Pavillon Puebla on the edge of the Buttes-Chaumont is an exception. It’s a bit pricey, but the elegant atmosphere of this floral building built at the time of Napoleon III is delightful, especially on the terrace. The food is Catalan, and the surroundings are superb. Tel: 42 08 92 62 or visit at Rue Botzaris at the south east corner of the Parc.

Add the 19th to your itinerary. It will pay you back in memories.

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