I found myself in Belleville by chance and was so intrigued by its multiple layers that I moved to the area just three months later. It all started when I was visiting my cousin, who was staying nearby—as I was charmed by the brightly coloured shopfronts in varying languages, the blend of rich scents, and the warm, welcoming smiles of its people.
Whilst some tourists may stumble into Belleville after visiting the Père-Lachaise Cemetery, it’s not often on a tourist’s itinerary—and it lies just 6 minutes by metro from the renowned Hôtel de Ville.
Why was I so attached to this place? Belleville is predominantly an immigrant neighbourhood; having lived in the area for a considerable amount of time, I feel it’s the ‘Unofficial Chinatown’ and ‘Little Tunisia’, with residents from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. What’s remarkable is witnessing people of various ethnic backgrounds, religions, and socioeconomic classes living peacefully side-by-side. I found a place that mirrored my own multinational background and made me feel at home.
Given Belleville’s bad reputation for being unsafe, is that really justified?
Its history may play a part in this. Belleville, a village that became part of Paris in 1860, has a history of rebellion, resistance, and revolution. In 1871, working-class residents of Belleville were instrumental in supporting the Paris Commune, a socialist group that seized control of Paris for 72 days before being crushed by the French army, which killed over half of Belleville’s population. It is a neighbourhood unlike any other in Paris.
Belleville’s Diversity: Where Cultures converge
On any given weekend, Belleville comes alive with diverse cultural activities – the air filled with hymns from the Chinese Protestant Church, a winding queue of Muslims waiting to pray together on Fridays, and wedding guests adorned in the brightest saris as they leave the Sri Lankan church. Karim Saighi, director of the Coop Mijotée association supporting the Cantine de Babelville, an African solidarity restaurant, says, “This cosmopolitan neighbourhood has a strong identity thanks to this mix.”
During the Lunar New Year, you’ll find street food stalls and dragon dances warding off evil spirits. For Hanukkah, there’s the lighting of a menorah. Locals and tourists alike let off steam at dance and music festivals, and writers and poets share their work vulnerably at poetry slams. The food scene is incredible, with a diverse display of mouthwatering cuisines represented and many places open until the early hours of the morning.
Many Tunisian Jews immigrated to the neighbourhood in the 1960s, leading me to call it ‘Little Tunisia’. Épicerie Sabbah was the area’s first grocery shop to sell halal and kosher products in 2001. Since then, other shops have followed, alongside kosher restaurants, Jewish schools, and synagogues within a two-block radius, despite a decline in the number of Jewish residents.
Stéphane Bsiri is the owner of the Jewish Tunisian family restaurant Chez René and Gabin, which has been in Belleville since 1988. He took over in 2002 after his father and uncle passed away. They’ve since opened another restaurant in Miami, USA, where Bsiri spends his winters with his family. When asked whether everyone lives in peace and spends time together, he insisted, “Of course. I’m Jewish. The barber shop [next door] is Muslim. The supermarket [next door] is Muslim. We live together. When there is a Muslim or Jewish holiday, we congratulate each other.”
“Why I believe Belleville is Paris’ Unofficial Chinatown”
As you turn onto Rue De Belleville, you go deeper into Paris’ ‘Unofficial Chinatown’, where the first Chinese arrived in Belleville in the 1980s from Wenzhou.
Pacifique is the oldest traditional Chinese restaurant and has been in the area for 41 years. More modern Chinese restaurants like Aux Mandarins de Belleville have opened, where I met waitress and assistant manager Berry Dai from South West China.
“Our environment and dishes are what you find in China now, with nearly the same recipes. It’s why I love this area. We can find everything easily in the supermarkets next door.”
Having lived in France for 16 years, Dai now meets many Chinese people from all over mainland China. China Town in the 13th arrondissement comprises more Chinese born in Southeast Asia.
Unveiling Belleville’s Artistic Soul
It’s also one of the cheapest tourist spots to stay in Paris. The cheaper rents attract a community of artists such as painters, sculptors and photographers who you can see working in their studios as well as visiting their galleries with open studios, exhibitions and workshops often open to the public.
I met with Christian Chang, a French ceramicist of Chinese heritage who completed his residency with ceramicist Maxence Jourdain in Belleville before moving to his own studio, where he gives clay modelling workshops. “There’s a real identity with street art and Chinese culture rooted in this area. I can find my roots even if I wasn’t born in Asia.”
Chang also added, “You have the difference of cultures but also their social levels. However, the borders are getting thinner and thinner due to the different associations around them, which open affordable restaurants and shops to construct a link between residents, like La Tablerie or La Cantine de Pyrénées.”
Karim Saighi also commented, “These associations contribute to making this neighbourhood lively, unlike other neighbourhoods in Paris, which increasingly tend to resemble a museum. The Belleville district is one of the last working-class districts of Paris to the point that American journalists have described it as a “no-go zone“. The reality is quite different.”
Is there a safety myth?
Whilst it has typically been seen as an unsafe neighbourhood with high crime rates and drug use in the 1980s and up until the early 2000s, Belleville has seen a huge shift in safety, with crime figures amongst the lowest in the capital.
On my first visit to Belleville, I stayed at The People Hostel on the main road as a solo female traveller during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. I never felt unsafe walking the streets alone late at night and went around trying Maghrebian Ramadan delicacies and drinking mint tea on the street into the early hours of the morning. I feel safer in Belleville, where there are always people around, rather than in the wealthier neighbourhoods, which can seem eerie at night.
Mahmoud El Kaser, a receptionist at Novotel who grew up in Belleville, notes that it has changed significantly over the years. “When I was young, it was not safe. There were fights every day, people stealing things from people, and now I don’t see that anymore. The streets can be dirty after the street market on Tuesdays and Fridays. But these days, it’s very nice to live here in Belleville. It’s very safe. I don’t know what happened, but everything changed.”
However, the presence of predominantly Chinese sex workers at Boulevard de la Villette highlights some of the ongoing social challenges in Belleville. Whilst this might concern some visitors, it’s important to note that their presence doesn’t necessarily equate to a lack of safety. As a woman travelling alone, I never felt unsafe and was only made aware of their presence later.
I met tourist and former resident Nick Hankinson* from New York, staying at The People Hostel. He adds, “I don’t think tourists are noticing sex workers, and if they are, they’re definitely not being harassed. I’ve never had sex workers proposition me, and I lived in the 11th arrondissement for six months. It took me a few months to realise that these women are sex workers. It’s much more obvious in Bois de Boulogne, and I’ve seen vans there.”
Hankinson continued on to say, “If tourists think of Belleville as unsafe, that might have more to do with racism than concern over crime. Belleville is less white than certain wealthier neighbourhoods that tourists frequent, and I think a lot of tourists have an unconscious racist tendency to associate people of colour with crime.”
Whether it is racist tendencies is up for debate and more investigation. However, it doesn’t help when American journalists describe Belleville as a ‘no-go zone’, as Karim Saighi alluded to; perhaps adding to these unconscious biases.
Unsung Heroes – Immigrants backbone integral to Olympic endeavours
The Olympics wouldn’t be possible without undocumented workers and people of other cultural backgrounds who built and continue to build Paris. Many immigrants from countries that have since gained independence from France work extremely long hours in construction, restaurants, housekeeping and delivery in poor conditions. Belleville is often the first arrival point and home to many workers.
Farid Ben Ali*, a chef at a Tunisian patisserie on Boulevard de Belleville, explains, “French law allows undocumented workers in sectors lacking staff like restaurants and hospitality to apply for their residency with 12 months of payslips. But finding an employer to hire us is hard. When we do find one, they have a massive power advantage as they know we need the payslips. We work excruciatingly long hours, 6 or 7 days a week, for very little pay. I lose, the French government loses as I cannot pay taxes, and only the boss wins as they pay less tax and low salaries.”
He continued, “There are controls coming and arresting us when all we want to do is work and do jobs that French people don’t want to do. I don’t have the right to work, but I need 12 payslips to apply for residency. How can I do this? The uncertainty of the controls and police checks fining and closing businesses in the area who hire us makes it difficult to see how we’ll survive in Paris.”
Now, a group of over 150 minors, from Le Collectif des Jeunes du Parc de Belleville are occupying the performing arts theatre Maison des Métallos. They are fighting for equal rights and an anti-racist and decolonial world. Their protests are full of energy with live music, dance and an important ask: without their papers, rights to education, healthcare, or housing, there should be no Olympics.
A place like no other in Paris
Visiting Belleville is a chance to see the real Paris—to witness how Parisians live, work, and celebrate their everyday lives. The atmosphere is infectious, the people welcoming, and the food is irresistibly delicious.
From the lesser-known sunset viewpoint on top of Parc de Belleville, the highest park in Paris, or the top of Rue de Belleville past the Chinese supermarkets and restaurants towards the hilly Buttes Chaumont park, you’ll see the only real reminder that you’re in stereotypical Paris – the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the far distance.
*Name has been changed to protect their privacy
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Nellie Khossousi
Nellie is best known for her wild adventures and daring challenges. As an award-winning multilingual adventure travel YouTuber, writer, and content creator at Third Culture Nellie, she aims to make travel more accessible and inclusive. Whether it’s