Take a walk down the villa strewn alleys of the 19th and you never know who will cross your path. A Cezanne look-alike walked right by as I sat in a neighborhood cafe after visiting Paris’s off-the-beaten track park, Buttes de Chaumont. Should you want to stay in one of the quartier’s budget hotels, here’s a sampling:

Nouveau Paris Park Hotel
4 Rue Hassard
33 1 42 06 67 67

Holiday Inn Express Paris-Canal de la Villette
68 Quai de la Seine

Hotel Le Canal
48 Avenue de Flandre

Mercure Paris La Villette
216 Avenue Jean Jaures

Hôtel de la Perdrix Rouge
5 Rue Lassus

Balladins Paris
219 Rue De Crimee

It’s no wonder many who reside in this quartier don’t venture out beyond its boundaries. A whole week lolling by its canal, park, tree lined hilly streets, a good place to be if you already know the city and want to find a place where people still say hello. No remnants of the old slaughterhouses, just kitty cats on flowerpotted windowsills waiting for the quiet day to roll on by.