Scary Flea Market in Paris???

Hello,

Just got back from Paris, and had to ask this question in a post.

Me and my boyfriend went to a sunday market at Port de Clignancort. This was recommended to us by many people as being the best market in paris.

We were very excited, but when we arrived we were pretty shocked. The market was downright scary. From piles of dirty, ratty old plastic dolls, to hoards of broken cassette tapes, to machine guns (yes, machine guns), and tacky designer fakes, we couldnt believe was we were walking through. the term %26quot;we%26#39;re not kansas anymore%26quot; didnt begin to describe how i felt. I had never seen a side of paris like that, and couldnt believe i was in the same city. It was right next to the highway, in a horrible, slummy neighbourhood, I clutched my purse for dear life and could not wait to escape that horrible, dirty, scary experience.

Did we, in fact, go to the correct flea market? There wasnt an antique in sight. let alone anything worth any kind of value. it was literally piles of garbage. It made Goodwill look like Gallerie Lafayette.

Any comments or advice would be very helpful!

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Unfortunately, you made a common mistake. To go to the Marche aux Puces, you must walk past where you were, under the peripherique overpass and another block later you would have seen the rue des Rosiers which is one of the main streets in the Marche aux Puces. It is indeed a very nice market with hundreds of vendors -- I was just there last week. So, next time you%26#39;ll know.

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Yes, you were in the wrong place. The real flea market is beyond the périph%26#39;.

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We also made this mistake once and realized that we were %26quot; not in Kansas anypmore!%26quot; Fortunately we kept walking and found the antique market. Actually purchased several pieces and have been thrilled with them. The area off the metro is scary! And I live in Detroit!!!!!

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hahaha wow

thanks everyone for the replies. i knew something wasn%26#39;t right!! Its too bad we missed such a nice flea market, but i guess i can confidently say that i had a very non-touristy experience in paris. I%26#39;ll know for next time!

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Yeah, being around poor people can be scary.

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I was thinking the same thing. Gee, when I think of what I%26#39;ve been through in places like India and Indonesia, when I get out of the metro at Porte de Clignancourt it just looks like a normal part of Paris to me, only more crowded. Most certainly nothing to be scared about.

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LOL !! I have been to the Clignancourt market twice and only saw the so called %26quot;scary%26quot; part, last time with my then 16 year old son and we had great fun.

Never thought that there would be more to it than this !! How funny - must go and check next time - plus take a lot of pictures.

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%26quot;ratty old plastic dolls%26quot; are scary,, ever heard about %26quot;Chucky%26quot; ...LOL

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Agree with kerouac. %26quot;Messy and dirty%26quot; is not the same as %26quot;scary%26quot;. If it were, I couldn%26#39;t go near my own house......

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Do give it another try next time you visit - we%26#39;ve been to the Marché aux Puces at Clignancourt part several times and it%26#39;s fantastic. The stalls are kind of semi-temporary rather than set up daily like you would get at a flea market in the UK (although, if you have been to it, it%26#39;s similar to Camden Passage in Islington, London) and most seem to be attached to a small shop or lock-up. Lots of unusual stuff (antique carousel horses, furniture) as well as %26#39;classic%26#39; bits and bobs like jewelery, vintage clothing and glassware - it%26#39;s quite a labyrinth once you get into it!

…pictureinwords.com/wp-content/…img_0129.jpg

The above image gives a visual clue as to what to expect...