Things Parisians own: Paris Par Arrondissement

Paris is large, and has streets which (1) are only a block long, (2) change names repeated over the length of the street, and (3) have very similar names and are easily confused. Thus, it’s not at all uncommon to see someone in Paris dig one of these nifty little books out of the bottom of a handbag or briefcase.  There’s simply no way for even a native Parisian to know where every street in the city is!

Just five inches tall, less than an inch thick, and covered in waterproof plastic, the PPA (say pay pay aaaah) includes every street within the Periphique (the ring road) around Paris, as well as maps of the subway and the suburban train system, and nifty listings of parks, hospitals and other items of interest.  They can be purchased from newspaper kiosks, convenience stores or bookstores, and cost less than $10 US.  I use one of these now instead of a street map – much more low-key, and quite a bit more thorough.  And thumbing through it feeds my dreams…