Category Archives: Gay Paris Guide

Some recommendations about the places we like in Paris

Gay Paris Guide

My Gay Paris: will the new Palais de Tokyo achieve its goals?

When you think contemporary art and Paris, you will probably think firstly of the Centre Pompidou. Now that the Palais de Tokyo has reopened, it is allegedly the most important center for contemporary art in Europe. They tripled its size. People where expecting this with enthusiasm: the queue to take part in the re-opening party was stretching for hundreds and hundreds of meters.


The installation of the artist Peter Buggenhout is right at the entrance, which is a giant sculpture entitled “the blind leading the blind”. The idea of this sculpture is that nobody knows where we come from and where we are heading to (except for death, which is quite certain for everyone).

We hope this image will not make you too depressed.

France was late in term of places to admire and produce contemporary art, in comparison with Germany and its Kunsthallen, and London. This new Palais de Tokyo is meant to put France back on track in that respect. Will it succeed? We cannot be sure of that. Indeed, in France, the notion of art and creation is perceived in a very different way than other places in the world. France has a tradition of official art supported with the help the state with subsidies. For example, in France, for each new building, at least 1% must be spent in ordering an artwork, such as a sculpture. If you go to see a movie, a certain amount of the price you pay, about 7%, will go to the national center of cinematography (CNC), which will in return put money in French cinema, even if you are going to see an American movie.

Creation and art should not be restricted to a few museums and art galleries, in the posh gentrified areas of modern capitals : it should be everywhere. That is even more true for Paris.

Posted on April 23, 2012 by admin| 1 Comment

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Gay Paris Guide

My Gay Paris: Freedj and CUD, the gay places to dance at night

You are maybe one of those people who live at night. You hate to wake up early, like many people. But when you are at night, when it’s 4 or 5am, and that you go to sleep at 6 or 7am, either alone or with someone new, that’s when you feel you are alive. You feel that way because, once or twice a week, you feel you can escape the daily routine, that reality where people in the streets are angry, where some storeseller don’t even care to say “hello”, even though you are a costumer, and that you were maybe ready to spend hundreds of euros for buying something.

If you are one of those people, there are many bars and clubs which open late at night in Paris, even during the week. We shall start with the ones we know the best, the ones which are located in the Marais. Maybe later, we could speak of other bars in different areas, not necessarily gay, if we find that they are gay-friendly enough.

The Freedj

The Freedj is located on 35 rue Saint-Croix de la Bretonnerie, in the very heart of gay Paris. Nevertheless, they claim to be “better the Marais”, which can sound weird, since they are in the Marais. What we assume that they meant, is that they differentiate themselves from other mainstream bars such as the Raidd, close by. What they probably mean, is that, there, you will be able to have real fun, not to be overwhelmed by cruising, and a sexual tension which can sometimes be heavy.
The name Freedj, in case you haven’t noticed (it took us a while to realize), can be pronounced “free-D.J.” or “fridge”. But don’t worry, it’s much hotter there than in a fridge. The place consists of a large bar on the 1st floor, in the back area there is a table football. Believe or not, in French, it’s called “baby-foot”. Be aware of not being too ridiculous when playing.
Downstairs, there is a dancefloor. The DJs play current pop music and remixes, with a disco touch on Sundays. There is a friendly atmosphere.
The entrance is free of charge. They open everyday from 5pm to 4am. The dancefloor opens at 11pm.
More info on www.freedj.fr.

The CUD.

The CUD is basically the place where people crash, after they’ve been to all the other places and that they’re really drunk. It is located 12 rue des Haudriettes, just off rue des Archives, a block away from rue Rambuteau. The drinks are quite expensive, there is a dancefloor downstairs which is not that great, but maybe in your state, you will not even realize. If you are a smoker, there is a space to smoke next to the entrance. There is the best way to meet new people and talk, just ask for a cigarette or a lighter, and you will be able to start a conversation. If you don’t smoke, just pretend that you do. The CUD is open until 6am on weekdays, until 7am during the weekend.
More info on cud-paris.com.

Posted on April 20, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

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Gay Paris Guide

My Gay Paris: Eating Green In Paris

Let’s face it: the classic image of French food is pretty meaty. Indeed, when they’re not taking in to boeuf bourguignon, steak tartare or confit de canard—to name just a few of the standard staples of French gastronomy—Parisians are just as likely to be tucking into an American-style burger, as we discussed a few weeks ago.

That’s all well and good for those who like plenty of animals on their plate, but many visitors—and a growing number of locals—prefer to eat vegetarian, cutting meat and fish out of their diet. A surefire way to make sure you can eat what you want is to rent your own furnished apartment, as when you’re making food yourself you’ll know exactly what you’re getting.

However, not many people want to spend their entire vacation in the kitchen, so it would be a shame to miss out on a night in a restaurant. As a general rule, most restaurants will probably be able to throw together something without meat, if you ask nicely (and in French!), even if it’s just salad, but more expensive, high-end restaurants tend to take less kindly to this.

As anywhere in the world, you might also have more luck choosing a restaurant that specialises in a cuisine that tends to be veggie-friendly: there are a lot of places you can enjoy falafels and other Middle Eastern treats in the Marais, for example, while the 10th arrondissement offers a wide range of Indian restaurants.

But if you want to be entirely certain of getting a tasty meat-free meal—without the hassle of ordering off-menu—then Paris does have one or two vegetarian restaurants.

Le Grenier de Notre-Dame
18, rue de la Bucherie

In a picturesque location just a few minutes’ walk from Notre-Dame, this is Paris’ first ever vegetarian restaurant, and has been a family business since 1978. The portions are generous and the prices are reasonable, given the neighbourhood, although sometimes the menu gives the impression that it hasn’t changed that much over the past decades: there are a lot of ‘healthy’ staples with tofu, seitan and other meat subsititutes.

Le Potager du Marais
22, rue Rambuteau

Right in the heart of the Marais, this cute little restaurant is a little more pricey and puts the emphasis on seasonal, organic produce. This one is popular with veggies and non-veggies alike and well worth reserving in advance if you get a chance to call in.

Loving Hut
92, boulevard Beaumarchais

Don’t let the unusual name put you off—this vegan café is part of a global chain, with locations Just a few minutes’ walk from Bastille with a strong ethical dimension: they’re veggie and proud, as their motto ‘peace begins on your plate’ makes clear. The premises also include a deli if you’d like

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Sam| Leave a comment

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Gay Paris Guide

My Gay Paris: New Photography Exhibition at the Jeu de Paume

Paris’ place at the centre of the art world hardly needs any introduction, and we’re certainly going to remind you that the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Centre Pompidou (to put them in chronological order) are all worth a visit if you’re a first time visitor to Paris.  If you needed another excuse, all three are within easy reach of the Marais (especially the last).

Checkered Past

But if photography is your thing, rather than painting and sculpture, then you might prefer the Jeu de Paume, a gallery with an interesting past in the north-west corner of the Jardin des Tuilieries. Originally opened in 1861 to house real tennis courts (the game is called ‘jeu de paume’ in French, hence the name), it became home to art works stolen from Jewish owners during the German occupation of Paris in the Second World War. After the war, it showcased some of France’s finest impressionist paintings, which subsequently became the backbone of the Musée d’Orsay’s collection across the river.

Retrospectives

Now, though, it specialises in photography, usually offering retrospectives to two or three individual photographers per year, as well as a more varied programme in a series of smaller galleries.

Last year’s Diane Arbus retrospective at the Jeu de Paume photography gallery was a sell-out success, with her black-and-white photos of some of the darker, seedier elements of 1950s and 1960s Americana seeming strangely out of place in the middle of the Tuileries.

Diane Arbus Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C. 1962It seems the curators are keen to repeat their success with their latest retrospective, which covers work by Berenice Abbott, another female American photographer. Born in 1898, Abbott came to Paris to learn her trade in the 1920s, shooting alongside Man Ray before becoming a successful portrait photographer.

Some of her best-known work, however, is found in the ‘Changing New York’ series, a collection commissioned as part of Roosevelt’s New Deal programme. If some of the photos seem familiar, that’s partly because they’ve achieved iconic status in their own right, but also because they are as fresh a look at New York City as they were eighty years ago. And as with Arbus, seeing these very American photographs in the centre of Paris makes for an arresting contrast.

WHAT: ‘Berenice Abbott (1898-1991), Photographs’ temporary exhibition
WHERE: Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume, 1, place de la Concorde, métro Concorde
WHEN: until 29 April 2012 (other exhibitions to follow)

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Sam| 1 Comment

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Gay Paris Guide

My Gay Paris: Fast, Free HIV Testing In The City

When you’re planning a visit to a romantic city like Paris, we’re sure HIV is the last thing on your mind. But if you’re visiting the Marais, chances are you’re here to go out and have a few drinks, which can of course sometimes leave you doing something that you worry about the next morning.

There are plenty of other places online offering tips to help keep your sex life safe (and sexy, for that matter), but we do like to tell you what’s on offer in Paris. And sometimes that can mean you want to get a HIV test—without waiting around.

If you’re a visitor from out of town, you likely won’t have your own doctor here in Paris, or time to visit a clinic for a test, where the results can take up to a week to arrive.

Luckily, though, there are two locations close to the centre of the Marais where you can get tested at the weekend, and have the results in just half an hour.

Checkpoint

The first is a specialist centre called ‘Checkpoint’ just a few minutes’ walk from the Marais, open to men who have sex with men aged at least 18 (that should cover most people reading this blog!). On Tuesdays and Thursdays you need to make an appointment (by calling ahead of time, so you’ll need some French), but on Mondsays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, you can show up whenever you like. Staffed by a specialist team, you’ll need to give a drop of blood and then wait thirty minutes to receive the results as well as personal advice based on the outcome of your test.

WHAT: Checkpoint HIV Testing Centre
WHERE: 36, rue Geoffroy l’Asnier — métro : Saint Paul
WHEN: Mondays 8 am to 12:30 pm, Wednesdays 1 pm to 10 pm and Fridays and Saturdays 12 noon to 6 pm; by appointment Tuesdays and Thursdays

Figuier Testing Centre

This is one of a network of free, anonymous HIV testing centres run by the City of Paris, with other branches found around the city. It’s open six days a week for appointments, but even then, you don’t need to give a name if you’d prefer to remain anonymous. If even that is too much hassle, then you can show up in the afternoons, but be warned, it can get busy.

WHAT: Figuier HIV Testing Centre
WHERE: 2, rue du Figuier — métro : Saint Paul
WHEN: from Monday to Friday, from 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm; by appointment at other times

For more info about both centres, including contact details, you can read this page on gay blog VeryFriendly.fr (in French).

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sam| Leave a comment

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