The rue La Fayette forms a long promenade of small hotels, bistros and shops intermingled with storefront business and large offices all along its route. But it is not without its charms: The imposing Church of Saint Vincent de Paul in the 10th arrondissement, stands impressively between the Rue Bossuet and Fenelon, on the Franz Listz square. There is also a pleasant little green space on the Square Montholon, where people can sit and let the traffic flow by.

The area north and south of the Rue La Fayette are riddled with two- and three-star hotels, serving mostly station traffic. There are a great number of surprisingly lively restaurants around the Square Montholon, which often feature unknown but excellent jazz musicians, as well as the occasional “star” slumming with an appreciative audience. South of the Rue La Fayette the area ages considerably as it approaches the Rue Richer, and the low, antique buildings around the Folies Bergères.

With the Rue La Fayette dividing this area in two, the north mostly calm, and the south more lively, this quartier is an interesting blend of tourism and history.