Paris

books AND music
· GROUND ZÉRO, 23, rue Ste-Marthe, 10e (M: Goncourt or Belleville)
For new indie releases, this shop is it. There are also very limited edition 7″s–one time I got in a frenzy buying up all the East River Pipe stuff they had… As the employees are quite involved in the local scene(s), Ground Zéro’s also a good place to pick up on the haps (show board near the cashier desk).
· LE MERLE MOQUEUR, 51, rue de Bagnolet, 20e (M: Alexandre Dumas)
Excellent bookshop containing all you can think of in fiction, politics, theory, history, and even stationery. If you can’t find it, you can of course do a special order (a few business days). Check out their events as well as their branch in the 104 cultural center (see below).
· PAGE 189, 189, rue du Fbg St-Antoine, 11e (M: Faidherbe-Chaligny)
A small, neighborhood bookshop on a bustling thoroughfare offering many of the same titles as Le Merle Moqueur (see above).
· LE POINT ÉPHÉMÈRE, 200, quai de Valmy, 10e (M: Jaurès or Louis-Blanc)
My favorite space for live music is quite small, yet packs quite a punch with a relatively good sound system and excellent international and local programming. The music is but one of the many projects of the Usines Éphémères collective.
· LE SILENCE DE LA RUE, 39, rue Faidherbe, 11e (M: Faidherbe-Chaligny)
Just a few blocks up from the metro station, this record shop overs a very selective yet diverse selection of punk, indie rock, soul, to name a few. No snobbery here and definitely no obligation to buy, so feel very to check out each record featured at the listening stations, or decide on whether or not you really, really need another copy of that certain LP.

coffee AND food
· CAFÉ LÉA, on the corner of rue Pascal and Claude Bernard, south of Mouffetard, 5e (M: Censier-Daubenton)
If I could choose my home based on a favorite location, it would be near this café. For this popular neighborhood, the crèmes are cheap (2€30) and lunch delicious (I love the veggie lasagna when they have it.) Sunday brunch is at 18€ and is enough to last you for TWO days.
· LA DINETTE DES FILS À MAMAN, 74, rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs, 6e (M: Vavin)
The former “Ventilo” sandwich shop has been revamped into the retro-ish “Dinette,” offering surprisingly filling sandwich rolls for 2€ a pop. Do get a loyalty card, ’cause the creations—like goat cheese in honey-walnut ciabatta—are a bit addictive.
· JARDINS D’ISTANBUL, 294, rue des Pyrénées, 20e (M: Jourdain or bus 26, stop “L’Ermitage”)
Hearty and affordable Turkish fare (avg mains 7€) in one of Paris’ more multi-culti neighborhoods. Service is discreet yet affable, and post-meal teas are usually on the house.
· KB CAFÉ SHOP (formerly Kooka Boora), corner of rue des Martyrs and ave Trudaine, 9e (M: Pigalle or Anvers)
Laidback coffee with friendly, English-speaking service. Fair coffee and even better baked goods. Free WiFi. And did I mention you can see Sacré Coeur from out the door?
· MERCE AND THE MUSE, rue Dupetit-Thouars, 3e (M: République or Temple)
Small and cute coffeeshop reminiscent of everywhere not in Paris, with retro/vintage decor. Head for a weekday afternoon if you actually want a place to sit with your cortado and heart-shaped carrot cake muffin (~€6).
· EL NOPAL, corner of Eugène Varlin and quai de Valmy, 10e (M: Château-Landon)
Hankering after burrito? Look no further. The tortillas are made to order at this sort-of kitsch but no-frills Mexican place and the salsa is almost as spicy as one would expect. Vegetarians are happily accommodated as well, so take your picnic to the nearby canal.

art AND cinema
· LE 104, 5, rue Curial, 19e (M: Riquet, Crimée or Stalingrad)
The former funeral parlor sees a new lease on life as a multi-use “center of creation,” where you can catch anything from qi gong classes, an organic market, and oh yeah—art exhibits. Although not (yet!) on the regular tourist circuit, those in-the-know or wanting to be will be sure to hit up. Also check out the huge branch of le Merle Moqueur bookstore by the rue Crimée entrance. Free wi-fi throughout the complex.
· LE BAL, Impasse de la Défense, off of ave de Clichy, 17e (a few blocks north of M: Place de Clichy)
A photography gallery run by Magnum Agency folks, so you know you’re getting quality. It’s hard not to linger in the bookshop because it’s full of wonderful items that make you wish you yourself were a photographer or at least had a coffee table (if you don’t already have one). (The bookshop is also unavoidable because that’s where you pay for admission!) When you’re done, visit the attached British-inspired café.
· FONDATION HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON in Montparnasse (M: Gaité) also hosts temporary photography exhibits.
· I like 7 PARNASSIENS (14e, M: Vavin) for smaller new releases, FORUM des IMAGES (1er, M: Châtelet) or the CINÉMATHÈQUE (12e, M: Bercy) for re-screenings, and the MK2 chain—especially at Bibliothèque (13e, M: Bibliothèque Nationale) and la Villette (19e, M: Jaurès)—for bigger affairs.
· Being the good bobo that I am (and a lover of free exhibits), I sometimes check out the CENTRE CULTUREL SUISSE, the INSTITUT SUÉDOIS, or the INSTITUTO CULTURAL DE MÉXICO, all of which are in the Marais. Of course, the city abounds in spaces like these.

clothes AND accessories
· a.n.a.i.m., 21, rue du Pont-aux-Choux, 3e (M: St-Sebastien-Froissart)
Up-and-coming Korean talent handpicked by a local stylist with a knack for subtle femininity and maximal comfort.
· MOMO LE MOINS CHER, 31, bd Magenta, 10e (M: Jacques-Bonsergent)
Organized yet still no-frills place to find preloved duds. You can tell that it’s handpicked, yet you never feel that you’re getting ripped off because a piece is “vintage.”

etc
· Lylo lists tons of shows.
· Qué tal Paris? is a sometimes helpful guide to activities even remotely relating to the hispano- or lusophone world.
· People do speak English!