The First of the Big Rollers

Paris was the first place in Europe to host mass roller skating and the tradition continues today. Every Friday night throughout the year around 15,000 skaters take to the streets and cover between 25 and 30 km. If you can brake and control your skates reasonably well you are welcome to join. See the organizer's website for details. Starting at 21h30 rollers gather near the foot of the Montparnasse Tower (blvd du Montparnasse, 14e. Metro: Montparnasse) and 30 minutes later set off en-masse. Many keep going until 1h in the morning. www.pari-roller.com

Poetry Discussion Group

This English-language poetry group reads and discusses poems every Friday from 18h30 to 20h15 with biscuits and tea at the home of Dr. Nagpal, ground floor left, 65 rue Pascal, 13e. Metro: Glacière or Les Gobelins. Reserve because space is limited. Call 01 47 07 55 28 or email: nagpal@nip.com.fr.

"This is the 15th year of our English poetry group. We read and discuss poems, the best we know or can find. Some of us write and these receive special attention. Anything goes, but ideally we want to read true, sweet, serious poems that take us forward, help us understand. We do not want boring, pretentious or incomprehensible stuff. Ten or so people, intelligent conversation, some fellowship, no showing off… it’s a good way to spend a Friday evening in this dry world. So do come and join us. You don’t have to talk or bring poems. All are welcome. There is no charge."

Free live jazz at Hotel d’Aubusson's Café Laurent

The luxury Hotel d’Aubusson keeps the jazz spirit of St-Germain-des-Prés alive with live concerts in their Café Laurent every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from 18h30 to 20h00 and 21h30 until midnight. Free entrance. 33 rue Dauphine, 6e. 01 43 29 43 43. Metro: Mabillon. www.cafe-laurent.com

French language schools in Paris (list)

Accord Ecole de Langues. 14 blvd Poissonnière, 9e. 01 55 33 52 33
ADomLingua. 257 rue Fbg St. Martin, 10e. 01 42 05 42 68
Alliance Française. 101 blvd Raspail, 6e. 01 42 84 90 00
ASPLEF. 52 blvd de Magenta, 10e. 01 48 87 62 26
L'Atelier des Langues. 75 rue des Dames, 17e. 01 43 87 00 92
L'Atelier Neuf. 34 rue de Trévise, 9e. 01 42 46 70 19

Berlitz Champs-Elysées. 35 ave Franklin Roosevelt. 8e. 01 40 74 00 17
[Other locations: La Défense, Nation, Opéra, Porte Maillot, Quartier Latin]
CFILC Language School. 7, rue Duvergier. 19e. 01 40 05 92 42
Communicaid Langues. 36 rue du Mont Thabor, 1e. 01 58 62 50 60
Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne. 47 rue des Ecoles, 5e. 01 40 46 22 11

Ecole de Langue Francaise pour Etrangers. 8 Villa Ballu, 9e. 01 48 78 73 00
Ecole EFI. 22, rue Rambuteau, 3e. 01 40 27 86 58
Ecole Eiffel. 3 rue Crocé-Spinelli, 14e. 01 43 20 37 41
Ecole France Langue. 2 rue de Sfax, 16e. 01 45 00 40 15
Ecole Parisien de Langue Française (EPLF). 55 rue des Archives, 3e. 01 44 54 86 90
Ecole PERL. 6 rue Spinoza, 11e. 01 53 36 16 96
Eurocentres. 13 passage Dauphine, 6e. 01 40 46 72 00
Executive Language Services. 20 rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 4e. 01 44 54 58 88

Formalangues. 87 rue La Boétie, 8e. 01 53 93 67 89
Le Français Autrement. 92 rue Bonaparte, 6e. 01 46 23 91 47
Franco-American School of Language. 57 esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92081 La Défense. 01 46 96 54 82
Groupe GEFOR. 2 rue de Valois, 1e. 01 55 34 37 20 and 7 bis, rue du Louvre, 1e. 01 55 35 00 20

Inlingua. 109 rue de l'Universite. 7e. 01 45 51 46 60 [Other locations: Bastille, La Défense]
Institut de Langue Française. 3 ave Bertie Albrecht, 8e. 01 45 63 24 00
Institut de Langue et de Culture Françaises (ILCF). 12 rue Cassette, 6e. 01 44 39 52 68
Institut Parisien (de Langue et de Civilisation Françaises). 29 rue de Lisbonne, 8e. 01 40 56 09 53
Institut Prive Francophone International de Paris. 89 rue Barrault, 13e, 01 53 80 34 77
International Language Center. 20 passage Dauphine, 6e. 01 44 41 80 20
ISBCP. 161 ave de Choisy, 13e. 01 44 24 85 21 and 32-36, rue Merlin, 11e. 01 46 59 29 51

Language Studies International. 350 Rue St Honoré, 1e. 01 42 60 53 70.
Langue Onze. 10 rue Gambay, 11e. 01 43 38 22 87
Lingua-Institut. 95 blvd Berthier, 17e. 01 56 21 22 80
Lutèce Langue. 23 blvd de Sébastopol, 1e. 01 73 70 17 69

Oise Paris. 71 bis rue de Vaugirard, 6e. 01 42 22 01 98
Paris Langues. 30 rue Cabanis, 14e. 01 45 65 05 28
Quai d'Orsay Language Centre. 67 Quai d'Orsay, 7e. 01 44 11 10 50
Verlaine Langue. 18 rue Martin Bernard, 13e. 01 45 88 05 75

Parislist welcomes comments from readers who have attended any of these schools.

French language schools in Paris

There is a wide variety of French language classes offered in Paris by different types of organizations. Some, like the Alliance Française, offer a formal "school-like" environment with relatively large classes while others use more personalized interactive approaches with smaller groups of typically less than 10 students. The scope and prices of classes vary a great deal so it is necessary to think about the type of course you are looking for and how intense you want it to be. Some schools focus on the needs of companies and business professionals and tend to charge more.

An introduction to French language schools in Paris is provided by Paris Anglo including reviews of some of the more well-known institutions. There is also a directory with schools offering classes of less than 10 students and business-oriented courses listed separately. The directory however is somewhat incomplete and out of date and does not provide links to the school's websites. Click on the links above to go to the Paris Anglo website.

Other directories of French language courses in Paris can be found at Europa Pages, Languages Worldwide, Language Finder and Paris AngloInfo. Click on the links to go to the relevant pages on these sites.

Great places to listen to Jazz in Paris

Paris is a great city to listen to jazz in both large and more intimate venues. The following is a list grouped by arrondissement of the most well-known places featuring jazz with links to their websites where monthly program details can be found. Some are up-market and involve a hefty entrance fee or cover charge or require dinner but many are casual places, often inexpensive and smoke-free, that attract world-class musicians. Over the coming weeks, ParisList will post individual reviews.

"Le Duc des Lombards opens its doors at 7 p.m.; it also serves respectable food for dinner. To “promote, celebrate and democratize” all jazz forms, Le Duc des Lombards has formed an association with two nearby clubs, Le Sunset/Le Sunside and Le Baiser Salé. They organize special “soirées de jazz” in which admission to all three clubs costs 20 euros. Sunset, a basement venue focusing on electric jazz, has surprisingly good sound, despite its white-tiled walls; Sunside on the ground floor, which is largely devoted to acoustic jazz, feels cozier. Upstairs from the bar and terrace at Le Baiser Salé is a comfortable space that features varied musical styles, from afro jazz to fusion. New Morning is a jazz and world-music club that was Chet Baker’s favorite Paris jazz venue, and the last place he played before he died. The big and beautifully restored Salle Pleyel concert hall at 252, rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré (www.sallepleyel.fr), has perhaps the best acoustics in town. This is where the pianist Keith Jarrett plays when he comes to town." [ELAINE SCIOLINO, New York Times, March 25, 2009]

1st
Franc Pinot. 1 quai de Bourbon, 1e. 01 46 33 60 64
Le Baiser Salé. 58 rue des Lombards, 1e. 01 42 33 37 71
Au Duc des Lombards. 42 rue des Lombards, 1e. 01 42 33 22 88
Le Sunset / Le Sunside, 60 rue des Lombards, 1e. 01 40 26 46 60 (Sunset), 01 40 26 21 25 (Sunside)

4th
Les 7 Lézards. 10 rue des Rosiers, 4e. 01 48 87 08 97 [Closed in 2008!]

5th
Les Trois Maillets. 56 rue Galande, 5e. 01 43 54 00 79
Le Caveau de la Huchette. 5 rue de la Huchette, 5e. 1 43 26 65 05
Le Petit Journal Saint Michel. 71 blvd Saint Michel, 5e. 01 43 26 28 59

6th

Jazz Café Chez Papa. 3 rue Saint-Benoit, 6e. 01 42 86 99 63
The Swan Bar. 165 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 6e. 01 44 27 05 84
Alliance Jazz Club. 7-11 rue Saint-Benoit, 6e. 01 42 61 53 53
Le Bilboquet. 13 rue Saint-Benoit, 6e. 01 45 48 81 84
L'Arbuci. 25 rue de Buci, 6e. 01 44 32 16 00
La Balle au Bond. Péniche, 3 quai Malaquais, 6e. 01 40 51 87 06
Paris-Prague Jazz Club. 18 rue Bonaparte, 6e. 01 53 73 00 22
Café Universel. 267 rue de Saint-Jacques, 6e. 01 43 25 74 20


9th-17th

Elysée Montmartre. 71 blvd de Rochechouart, 9e. Paris. 01 44 92 45 49
New Morning. 7 rue des Petites Ecuries, 10e. 01 45 23 56 39, 01 45 23 51 41 (program)
Cafe bar Au Chat Noir. 76 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 11e. 01 48 06 98 22
Jazz Ô Zèbre. Zèbre de Belleville, 63 blvd de Belleville, 11e. 01 43 55 55 55
Cithea Bar. 114 rue Oberkampf, 11e. 01 47 00 00 32
Le Petit Journal Montparnasse. 13 rue du Commandant Mouchotte, 14e. 01 43 21 56 70
Le Jazz Club Lionel Hampton. Hotel Meridien, 81 blvd Gouvion Saint Cyr, 17e. 01 40 68 30 42

Teatime & Talktime Chez Michael

Every Saturday the cosmopolitan Frenchman Michael opens the door of his spacious bohemian apartment in the 5éme for international conversation and convivality. Half the time the preferred language is French, and half the time it's any other language (but mostly English). All sorts of people come to brush up their language skills or just to hang out. Tea and "tidbits" are provided. This early evening event starts at 17h30 and ends around 20h30 but often people continue the soirée at a nearby café or restaurant. Call or email Michael for the address and code: 01 4325 8655, michaelttt@noos.fr. A contribution of 10 euros is requested.

Michael is also the mastermind behind a pleasant weekly picnic during the summer months on the Pont des Arts starting around 20h00. You can find the group clustered around a bench at the Left Bank end of the bridge. Just ask for Michael!

English-language bookshops in Paris

More than ten bookshops in Paris specialize in English-language books. The larger, more mass market ones are located on the Right Bank. WH Smith has helpful bilingual staff and stocks books, travel guides and newspapers that reflect its English heritage. Brentano's bills itself as "la librairie Franco-Ameréricaine de Paris depuis 1895" and might be considered WH Smith's American counterpart. Librairie Galignani carries a large stock of both English and French books in a comfortable environment where browsing is encouraged. Attica, "la librairie des langues" located near Bastille, is particularly good for books from small-press publishers and the latest new American fiction.

Librairie Galignani, 224 rue de Rivoli, 1e. 01 42 60 76 07 [galignani@wanadoo.fr]
WH Smith, 248 rue de Rivoli, 1e. 01 44 77 88 99
Brentano’s, 37 ave de l'Opéra, 2e. 01 42 61 52 50
Attica, 106 boulevard Richard Lenoir, 11e. 01 55 28 80 14

Smaller, cozier and generally less expensive bookshops are to be found on the Left Bank. Each has its own often unique style and focus. Many are open seven days a week, often until midnight, and frequently host author readings, lectures and other special events. It is well worth checking out their websites for details. Some, such as the Canadian-oriented Abbey Bookstore, the funky San Francisco Book Company and the sprawling Shakespeare and Company, carry both new and used books. The literary Village Voice Bookshop has a relatively large stock of over 18,000 titles including European literature in translation. The store also functions an important meeting place and center for American literary activity in Paris. Berkeley Books of Paris, which opened in early 2006, carries american and english second-hand books.

Shakespeare and Company, 37 rue de la Bûcherie, 5e. 01 43 26 33 22
The Abbey Bookshop, 29 rue de la Parcheminerie, 5e. 01 46 33 16 24 [abparis@compuserve.com]
The Book Cellar, 23 rue Jean de Beauvais, 5e. 01 46 34 62 03
San Francisco Book Company, 17 rue Monsieur le Prince, 6e. 01 43 29 15 70
Berkeley Books of Paris, 8 rue Casimir Delavigne, 6e. 01 46 34 85 73
The Village Voice. 6 rue Princesse, 6e. 01 46 33 36 47

The Right Bank is not however without its smaller, quirky bookshops that have considerable charm. The staff at these establishments tend to be well-read and very helpful. The jam-packed Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore is perhaps the friendliest english-language bookshop in Paris and the second-hand bookshop Tea and Tattered Pages features a cosy tea room at the rear.

Tea and Tattered Pages, 24 rue Mayet, 3e. 01 40 65 94 35
The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore, 22 rue Saint Paul, 4e. 01 48 04 75 08