Abisola SalahuEven the city of love has some rough and run down neighborhoods. The worst neighborhoods in Paris are those places in this world famous city that is a lot better to avoid as a visitor. In fact, local residents have enough sense to avoid these places at certain times of the day, and they know that it is better to walk in groups.
Not to malign Paris; this is truly a city of great beauty. But even the greatest cities in the world can be easily divided into the good parts and the bad; economic forces, more than anything else, determine how these cities are divided.
People who can afford the good life tend to concentrate in areas where such luxuries are available; while those who cannot afford these things tend to concentrate in the cheaper parts of town, where people without economic prospects tend to be.
Top 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Paris 2023
1. Les Halls
This is an area in Paris that is centered around the underground shopping mall of the same name. This is a major economic center in Paris; it has always been so since the 1900’s. The old mall was remodeled in the 1970’s to allow for more people, and also to become part of the metro system. Now it receives around 150,000 people every day.
150,000 people walking around with wallets in their back pockets sounds very attractive to pick pockets; they operate not only in the shopping mall area, but also in the trains. There are also reports of outright muggings, as the bold thieves have been known to forcefully take people’s possessions.
Walking around this area in the night is simply not a good idea; especially with some baggage.
2. Chatelet
Chatelet is an area in Paris. In the past, this used to be a very busy market; it was the heart of the butchery and meat trade. The market was moved, but the crime never really left. This somewhat close to the center of the old Paris; in the past there were prisons in the area.
Chatelet is also a station in the Paris Metro; and anyone who knows anything about Paris knows that this means a high crime rate. Chatelet is often considered one of the worst neighborhoods in Paris; it is the scene of many pick pocketing, muggings, and outright robberies. Chatelet also has some gang activity; many of the young people fancy themselves future crime lords.
This is a place where it is better to visit in groups, or to avoid completely. There is some history to be seen here; but the risks are just too high.
3. Gare du Nord
Gare du Nord is an area in the northern part of the city of Paris; in the 10th arrondissement. This is one of the six large mainline railway stations in Paris, from where people can board trains to northern France; as well as to such destinations as Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Gare du Nord receives more than 700,000 passengers per day. It is one of the busiest metro stations in the whole country. This is not to say that the French authorities have not made efforts to make the area around the metro station safe; but securing 700,000 people would be a challenge to anyone.
Gare Du Nord has a sizable population of thieves who are bold enough to snatch a purse from a person. The area is also said to be disputed territory between two rival gangs.
4. Stalingrad
Stalingrad is a Métro station in Paris. The surrounding neighborhoods around the 10th arrondissement and 19th arrondissement are also referred to with the name Stalingrad. The name comes from World War II; when Nazi forces were repelled from Stalingrad in what turns out to have been a decisive battle.
Stalingrad is a very popular metro station; It receives hundreds of thousands commuters every day.
However, Stalingrad has been the site of several gang wars; immigrants have formed gangs, and they see Stalingrad as a base of operations which is why they fight to defend their territory.
Therefore, going to Stalingrad is not a good idea unless you wish to run into the gangs; and they can be quite violent.
5. Jaurès
Jaurès is a station on the Paris Métro which was opened in 1903. The surrounding neighborhoods around the 10th and 19th arrondissements are also called Jaures.
Jaures is usually listed among the places to avoid in Paris. This is because the metro attracts large numbers of thieves who come in to prey on the unsuspecting commuters. Some of the crimes in the area include pick pocketing, muggings, and other such crimes.
6. St-Denis
St-Denis is an area in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is quite a popular place; with a population of around 112,091. The neighborhood was an industrial area prior to the 1998 FIFA World Cup when the Stade de France was built. The stadium hosts Football and Rugby games. The area has since changed after the completion of the stadium.
As a center for sports; it is understandable that the neighborhood has many young people in it. Unfortunately, many of these young people have the tendency to want things they cannot afford, without wanting to work for it. There is a lot of crime here, especially at night.
7. La Courneuve
La Courneuve is an area in Seine-Saint-Denis, France. It is located 8.3 km from the center of Paris, and has been inhabited since pre-Roman times.
La Courneuve has a population of around 45,053, and is known as one of the areas in Paris to avoid. There is plenty of crime in the area, and the crimes range from petty theft to pick pocketing, and muggings
La Courneuve is a center of gang activity; the movie “Banlieue 13” was somewhat based on this neighborhood. Thugs have been known to engage police in lengthy shootouts; and all kinds of articles and documentaries have been made about the gangs in this neighborhood, including by The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, The Independent, and the New York Times.
8. Mantes-la-Jolie
Mantes-la-Jolie is a neighborhood located to the north of Paris. It is not actually a part of the city of France; but the efficient transport system makes it such that visitors to Paris travel to this commune without ever knowing that they have left the city.
There are many in the historical buildings in this neighborhood; this is a place where visitors love to visit. Mantes-la-Jolie has a population of around 44,231.
This Neighborhood Is Always In the news for the wrong reasons include muggings, theft, and physical violence.
9. Aubervilliers
Aubervilliers is a neighborhood in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, Île-de-France region. It is one of the suburbs in the northeast of Paris. Aubervilliers has a population of around 88,948.
Aubervilliers is regularly listed among as one of the unsafe areas in Paris, because there are many acts of physical violence going on there. However, it must be noted that some of this violence have racial undertones.
10. Saint-Ouen
Saint-Ouen is a neighborhood in the northern suburbs of Paris. The neighborhood has a population of about 50,697 people. It is a place with very diverse cultures; there are many immigrants living in this neighborhood.
Unfortunately, there is quite a high rate of crime in this neighborhood; this is one of the banlieus- with gangs, turf wars, and all other sorts of crime.
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Closing:
The worst neighborhoods in Paris are those places that the travel guides and travel documentaries never mention because they wish to portray Paris as a perfect city. Granted, this is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but there is hardly a perfect place in this world.