Where the Beautiful People Hang

Whoever said that Paris is the place of beautiful people was 100 per cent on point.

The people in Paris are beautiful. I don't mean cute: I don't mean nice-looking. I mean b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l. Even those who in any other "world" or in any other city would be marked by Joe-Gossip as questionable ('Aw, she awright') are beautiful in some unexplainable way. The funny thing, though, is that all of these beautiful people walking the street have the horrible effect of making you feel not at all beautiful. It's particularly true for the average American.

Dressed in the jeans that only Americans can construct, flaunting our globally beloved Converse tennis, or even rocking an Ann Taylor suit or Banana Republic maxi and the latest Nine West wedges or Manolo Blahnik stilettos - there is a clear difference. Maybe it's the omission of a scarf draped just the right way, or a blouse just see-through enough. Or maybe the difference is the fall of the high ponytail or the sunglasses. Whatever it is, French people have it. In fact, so do older women.

I've been to Paris too many times to name. Tourists generally head to the City of Love for three reasons: Shopping, culture (mainly museums) or simply to suck in the air of romance.

Shopping: Great, but very pricey. My motto is "only buy it it you absolutely love it or it's so unique you can't find it anywhere else." Most people head to the Left Bank for heavy-lifting shopping, to streets like the Champs Elysee, rue de Royale or Hausmann. But there are really nice boutiques in almost every neighborhood. It helps to know what you are looking for and your budget. Any descent travel book will tell you where to start.

Culture: You can't get enough of the Louvre. And I simply love the Rodin Museum. But you might want to head to take a stroll in some of the city's ethnic neighborhoods, like Chinatown (13th arrondisement) or Château Rouge, where you can find lots of black boutiques and restaurants, or Barbès, which looks like Little Africa.

Romance: Well, it's all around you. The options are endless.

On our visit to Paris this past week (31 May-4 June 2012), we came across some jewels:

Bugsy's, 15 rue Montalivet, is a great pub with really good everyone-can-eat-it food. It's designed with a speak easy flair, featuring photos of actors from old gangster movies. Great hamburgers, salads and the like.

Myung Ka, 15 Boulevard Garibaldi. Really good Korean food! Really good. Get several grills and share. Have an Asian beer while the waiter grills your meat right in front of you.

Harry's American Bar, 5 rue Daunou. They invented the Sidecar and Blood Mary. The bar has been around since before I was born and still serves up a mean drink. Not cheap, though.

Le Nem, 67 rue Rennequin. Vietnamese. Probably the best beef pho I have ever had!