From the area's eponymous elevated Metro station, one can look out the window of the train and see that, where once cafe-concerts might have stood, now a huge Tati store dominates the Boulevard Rochechouart, offering deals on everything from house wares, to wedding dresses! A walk up the Boulevard Barbes reveals a variety of shops and discount stores, one of the few 24-hour pharmacies in Paris (at the Boulevard's connection with the rue de Doudeauville).

Meanwhile, visitors eager to see the winding, filthy streets of the Goutte d'Or slum, will be surprised to find that, while still a gritty contrast to the neat, cobbled streets of the nearby Montmartre, the area retains little of the details Zola described so meticulously in his novel l'Assommoir. It's a relief, of course, that the area's inhabitants no longer live in such terrible conditions. The Goutte d'Or today has become home to part of Paris' Muslim and African communities. Along its streets, one finds African and Middle Eastern eateries and shops, and stores offering fabrics and traditional dress from these regions. For visitors looking for deals on these things, these streets are quite a find.

In the grand tradition of the 18th Arrondissement's interesting combinations of cultures, the church of Saint-Bernard de la Chapelle is just around the corner from the Goutte d'Or. This church, a beautiful, impressive structure in the Flamboyant Gothic style, seems to be a relic from the Middle Ages. In fact, it's a Neo-Gothic church, built at the height of a renewed interest in medieval architecture... in the mid-19th century! The inside is atmospheric, with reliefs of the dour faces of some past community leaders, as well as the church's architect Auguste Magne, adorning the capitols of the columns. After this somewhat sobering sight, it's nice to get back on the streets to watch new people and new cultures living, shopping, and playing in this still-vibrant quartier.