Paris is divided into 20 arrondissments, but neighborhoods are easier to define by their central monuments. Here is a list of the main areas of Paris and their characteristics:

The Halles-Beaubourg

Former central marketplace, Les Halles (pronounce Layh-Al NOT Lays-Al) was the "stomach of Paris" (le ventre de Paris) for centuries. The area is still very lively today, with its modern shopping mall, the Forum des Halles. On the other side of Boulevard Sébastopol, the High-tech Pompidou Centre, which is the home of the National Museum of Modern Arts, but also of temporary exhibitions, a library and a restaurant on its top, also attracts a huge amount of visitors (it was until recently the most visited monument in Paris, including the Louvre).

The Marais

Located between Les Halles and République, Le Marais, also known as « Old Paris » (le vieux Paris) contains the oldest buildings of Paris. It is a very stylish neighborhood, with great architecture and courtyards(Place des Vosges) and museums (Picasso museum). It’s also famous for being the gay district, with many hip boutiques and clubs. The Jewish presence is also strong, mainly around the Rue des Rosiers.

Republique/Canal St Martin

If you have seen the movie Amelie Poulain, some scene are taking place in the Canal St Martin, it is like a small Venice and rapidly became a very popular destination for tourist and locals. It is here that you can find very cool bars and restaurants at an affordable price. The "Place de la Republique" is also a very popular area,  although there is not much to see there for tourists. The Canal St Martin should be your focus if you don't have much time.

The Tuileries

The Tuileries is the name of the garden that leads up to the Louvre museum. Originally, they formed the front grounds of the main facade of the Louvre complex, a palacefor which the expansive gardens were named for, the Tuileries Palace. This ultimate completion of the Louvre was unfortunately destroyed in 1871 during the Paris Commune. Starting from the Place de la Concorde, and following the Rivoli arcades, the area is exceptionally nice to visit and also a great place to purchase items in souvenir shops and small luxury boutiques.

St. Germain-des-Pres

This section on the left bank was formerly known for being the bohemian meeting place of artists and intellectuals, but now is more known for being one of the most fashionable and trendy areas in Paris with high-price boutiques (Vuitton, Armani, etc.) and art galleries.  The area is also home to famous cafes like Brasserie Lipp, Cafe Flore and perhaps the most famous of all, Les Deux Magots, which was the hang-out joint for the intelligents like Jean-Paul Sartre, but which now is mostly full of well-heeled tourists. 

Ile de la Cité - Ile Saint-Louis

The Ile de la Cité is the cradle of Parisian civilization. It was here that the Romans set up camp in 52 B.C. The island hosts beautiful Middle-Age monuments such as the Notre Dame cathedral, the Sainte-Chappelle and the Conciergerie. It is a lovely place to walk around and admire the mansions that are still standing. So is Paris's most expensive and quiet neighborhood, the Ile Saint-Louis, a smaller island right next to Ile de la Cité, connected to it by the Pont Saint-Louis. This is a peaceful, small island situated in the center of metropolitan Paris. There are no metro stations here, and only two bus stops, so it it wonderfully deprived of the mass tourism found in many other Paris districts including the more famous Seine island, Ile de la Cite. 

The Latin Quarter

Located on the left bank of the Seine, the Latin Quarter goes approximately from St. Michel to Odeon. It’s one of the oldest district of Paris, known for its historical cafés and brasseries, but also for its lively and village-like atmosphere. You will discover the sumptuous Pantheon, that dominates Paris, on top of the Montagne Sainte Geneviève. With the Sorbonne University (worth a visit) and Panthéon-Assas University, the area has a vibrant student population. Don’t miss the Palace and Gardens of Luxembourg, particularly nice to walk around, and simply relax on a bench and gaze upon St. Sulpice, one of the biggest churches in Paris. The Rue Mouffetard has a lively farmer's market on weekend mornings, and the street itself is a marvellous winding array of cheese shops and bakeries that you must explore. The famous expat English language bookshop, Shakespeare & Company, is also located in this quarter.

The Champs-Elysées

Going from the huge Place de la Concorde to the Place de l’Etoile, with its great Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysées Avenue and its surroundings is a very lively area, not only because it’s full of cinemas, cafés, and shopping galleries, but also because it is, with La Défense, one of the financial districts of Paris. This massive avenue is arguably the world's most famous street, and it has been dubbed it's most beautiful. Don't be suprised, however, if you discover McDonalds more easily than trendy fashion boutiques, as commercialism and internationalism has taken its toll on this once exclusive and aristocratic boulevard.

Trocadéro

South of the Place de l'Etoile's Arc de Triumph and the Champs-Elysees, along the right bank of the Seine, Trocadero is actually but a modest square framing the Palais de Chaillot. However, it has come to be synonymous with its surrounding affluent district, which practically attempts to be the definition of "ritzy." There are many upper-class establishments and boutiques located here, all with an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower.

The Opera district

Between the Louvre and the Grands boulevards, there are many exciting things to see. The Opéra de Paris itself is a gorgeous monument definitely worth a visit, and the whole area with its cafés, luxury boutiques, theatres and restaurants is a wonderful place to walk around. While the Place Vendôme is known for its fine jewellery boutiques and the Ritz Hotel, the large Boulevard Haussman offers two famous huge Art nouveau department stores (“grands magasins”): Le Printemps and Les Galeries Lafayette, some of the most respected in the capital.

Montmartre

Set on a hill 130 meters high, the area of Montmartre, literally the mountain of the martyr (Paris's bishop St. Denis, the patron saint of France, was decapitated here around 250 AD) looks grandly out over all of Paris and is famous for its nightlife. Dominated by the Sacre Coeur basilica, it seems like a completely different area from the sophistication of Paris below. The area is famous for its lively Place du Tertre, home of street painters and artists, who attempt to recreate Montmartre's heyday when the district was the epitome of bohemian culture and drew famous artists from all over Europe. But it is also renowned for Amélie, the nice girl of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s world-famous feature film. The café where she goes to in the film has become a top visited place in Paris!

Bastille

Around the Place de la Bastille, you will find beautiful hidden places like the charming Arsenal marina and the Promenade supsendue, a landscaped walkway built on the old railroad tracks of a viaduct. Underneath, the Viaduc des Arts arcades, invites you to window-shop at exclusive arts and crafts galleries. The Bastille area is also know for its hip bars and clubs, mostly gathered in the vibrant Rue de Lappe.

Belleville - Ménilmontant

This area is known for its great ethnic diversity. For the last 5 years it has become a hot place for the “bourgeois-bohème” (bobo) population to settle or go out. The area is attractive for its exotic cafés and restaurants (Arabic, African, Chinese…) and bazaars. It’s also a relatively cheap area.

Oberkampf

An area which houses some of the best nightlife in the city for decay-chic clubs.