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Paris actually used to be beautiful, now it is bland and boring without soul. Why did people rave about its beauty in the 1800s and early 1900s? Perhaps you'd b

Paris actually used to be beautiful, now it is bland and boring without soul. Why did people rave about its beauty in the 1800s and early 1900s? Perhaps you'd be able to answer that question yourself if you looked up all the gorgeous buildings that used to exist in Paris and around the Eiffel Tower that are now nonexistent.

vidoc 7y ago
An often under reported fact about paris is that it lies in one of the ugliest regions of France. The 100 km radius around Paris is so stunningly depressing that Parisians end up going weekend trips to Normandy. "Au royaume des aveugles, le roi est borgne", as they say
- rockinghigh 7y ago
  It’s “Au royaume des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois.”.
- baud147258 7y ago
  > The 100 km radius around Paris is so stunningly depressing I disagree with that, there's enough places around Paris that are good-looking or relaxing that I don't feel the need to leave Paris on the week-end (at random: Paris Observatory park in Meudon, with a great view on Paris)
noobermin 7y ago
Calling Paris "bland" and "boring" has got to be one of the hottest takes in the history of online takes. I usually remove a downvote from comments when I reply to them but I will relent from doing so in this case.
- noneeeed 7y ago
  Have you been in the last ten years? Perhaps it's just because I've grown up in the UK, surrounded by gothic and medievel buildings etc so a lot of Paris is just more of the same, but for me my weekend trip to Paris about 10 years ago ranks at the bottom of all my holidays. I found Berlin far more interesting and exciting than Paris. There are some lovely bits of Paris, but huge swathes of it are traffic stuffed concrete ovens during the summer. The Arc de Triomphe is surrounded by a 6 lane roundabout, which is fun to watch for a bit, but rather detracts from the ambiance of the site.
  - m_t 7y ago
    Going to the Arc de Triomphe is like going to Regent Street/Oxford circus in my opinion. It's good for 5 minutes, or to see it once in your life, but it's one of the worst place to appreciate Paris / London.

vidoc 7y ago

An often under reported fact about paris is that it lies in one of the ugliest regions of France. The 100 km radius around Paris is so stunningly depressing that Parisians end up going weekend trips to Normandy. "Au royaume des aveugles, le roi est borgne", as they say

rockinghigh 7y ago
It’s “Au royaume des aveugles, les borgnes sont rois.”.
baud147258 7y ago
> The 100 km radius around Paris is so stunningly depressing I disagree with that, there's enough places around Paris that are good-looking or relaxing that I don't feel the need to leave Paris on the week-end (at random: Paris Observatory park in Meudon, with a great view on Paris)

noobermin 7y ago

Calling Paris "bland" and "boring" has got to be one of the hottest takes in the history of online takes. I usually remove a downvote from comments when I reply to them but I will relent from doing so in this case.

noneeeed 7y ago
Have you been in the last ten years? Perhaps it's just because I've grown up in the UK, surrounded by gothic and medievel buildings etc so a lot of Paris is just more of the same, but for me my weekend trip to Paris about 10 years ago ranks at the bottom of all my holidays. I found Berlin far more interesting and exciting than Paris. There are some lovely bits of Paris, but huge swathes of it are traffic stuffed concrete ovens during the summer. The Arc de Triomphe is surrounded by a 6 lane roundabout, which is fun to watch for a bit, but rather detracts from the ambiance of the site.
- m_t 7y ago
  Going to the Arc de Triomphe is like going to Regent Street/Oxford circus in my opinion. It's good for 5 minutes, or to see it once in your life, but it's one of the worst place to appreciate Paris / London.