👉 Click here to turn this article into an immersive travel diary
Do you really know the 12th arrondissement of Paris? From the Place de la Nation to the Place de la Bastille, along the green islands and the Viaduc des Arts, you'll discover a multi-faceted district. For our readers, Emmanuelle Pierre-Marie takes on the role of guide in an interview with Sortir à Paris. A doctor in sociology and mother of three - not to mention her two cats and two grandchildren! -she takes us on a warm-hearted stroll through the friendly soul of the 12th arrondissement, between leafy parks, cultural institutions and popular festivals.
I don't have much free time, but when I do, I love going to the movies. My latest film, last Sunday night, was A Normal Family, which I loved! I try to go whenever I can, which varies according to the season. Then there's the opera, which I love, even though I haven't been to one in six months. My last concert was with Julien Doré, an exceptional artist, deeply human.
About fifteen years ago, a parody map of the arrondissements was circulating on social networks. The 12th arrondissement had " nothing " written on it. I'm often asked, "But what's in the 12th arrondissement?" It's a haven of peace with lots of nuggets to discover. You can find everything in the 12th... except theEiffel Tower!
There's the Gare de Lyon, a land of welcome, the Bois de Vincennes and its sometimes hidden spots (the racecourse, the arboretum, the great pagoda in the tropical agronomy garden, and the reopening of the ferme de Paris, inaugurated on July 9), Bercy Village and the Cour Saint-Émilion with its fairground arts museum, the emblematic Viaduc des Arts, the Promenade Plantée, the Coulée Verte René Dumont, the Cinémathèque Française and, of course, theAccor Arena. Particularly family-friendly, the 12th arrondissement is a great place to live!
There's plenty to do in the parks and woods, notably at the Parc Floral, but also at the Palais de la Porte Dorée'sTropical Aquarium, free for children, and on the Poisson Lune summer terrace just outside. The arrondissement also boasts a number of alternative cultural venues in temporary occupation, such as Bercy Encore and Ground Control, a venue for all audiences, with an alternative cultural offering.
In fact, if you sign up for the Pass Culture du 12e newsletter, you'll find great deals and free tickets all year round. I'm proud of the work we've done with our cultural partners to offer these deals. The Town Hall also sends out a newsletter for children aged 0 to 14.
Le 100ecs, a former EDF building that has become a cultural institution with free exhibitions, a theater and artists' workshops accessible to all; L'Atelier de Paris in the Cartoucherie, which is one of the players capable of federating around them and hosting events outside their walls; and the Maison du Zéro Déchet, a player I rely on for all our events to support our zero-waste approach.
I defend local businesses and craftsmen and women. I'm particularly proud of the club des commerçants and the regular meetings with shopkeepers, with whom we carry out a number of initiatives. For example, every November 25, in collaboration with volunteer bakeries, we print a violentometer on baguette bags to raise awareness of women victims of violence and warn the public about possible toxic relationships.
Another great source of pride for me is the Prix du livre, a collaboration between the arrondissement's many independent booksellers and our libraries and media libraries. We've welcomed La Sorbonne-Nouvelle, the Cinémathèque, and we'll soon be welcoming the Bpi. All these players know each other very well, and there's not a single event where they're not present.
We're also very committed to LGBTQIA+ queer culture, notably with the Festival des Fiertés, in partnership with the 14th and 13th arrondissements. We're three committed arrondissements!
My plan is to go even faster and even further in the greening of the city and the renaturation of the wood. We are fortunate to have the coulée verte (soon to reach the Bois de Vincennes) and the petite ceinture accessible to 3/4. We're still missing the passage to the Cours de Vincennes to get to the 20th arrondissement, and the Porte de Charenton passage to get to Bercy and the Seine...
The aim is to recreate links between our towns and arrondissements, so that there are no more urban divides. To be able to live the city to the full, without worrying about going from the 12th to the 11th, to the 20th, simply to stroll around Paris. My dream is to be able to let go of our children's hands in complete safety; we must continue to multiply the number of children-friendly streets and open courtyard-oases.
I'd also like to bring some entertainment to the banks of the Seine. We already have several festive barges, but you have to cross the bridges to get to the quays, where they dance rock on one side and salsa on the other.
Pantin and Nanterre are very active culturally, and I've seen some incredible projects there.
The party we organized in the town hall to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Marriage for All. We invited homosexual couples who had married in the 12th arrondissement to come and tell their stories. It was an extremely powerful and moving moment, followed by a memorable evening of drag performances and DJ sets. An evening in the image of the 12th arrondissement: festive and committed.
Come to the 12th arrondissement, where you'll feel right at home, where you can party and discover incredible nuggets, where it's all glamour and nature!
