Place Pigalle has always been synonymous with sex, in all its most scruffy forms. It used to be the epicenter of X-rated adult-only and sex shops, peep shows, strip clubs, and cabaret adventures and was part of the red light district of Paris, France.
It still has a notorious reputation as the popular hotspot for the most daring crowd. It is known as the place where strip clubs take you with small admission charges, then snack you with very expensive drinks for you and the girls or boys, who suddenly show up at your table uninvited. Many of the windows are still filled with models wearing next to nothing, meager garments that can be super expensive or cheap as chips but that send the same message: I’m available for sex.
Story
Pigalle started out as an artists’ area, away from the quiet, grandiose and aristocratic buildings in District 1 in all their glory around the Louvre and the Tuileries gardens. Pigalle is located in Montmartre, the obscene area of Paris crowned by the Sacré Coeur church. At the end of the 19th century, cabarets opened on Boulevard de Clichy, including the Moulin Rouge, either famous or infamous, depending on your taste. Toulouse-Lautrec came here from his hometown of Albi and began producing those wonderful posters and paintings of prostitutes, late-night bars, absinthe drinkers, and dancers who had always worked as prostitutes.
Pigalle is seedier in the early 20 th century and it was not a place to visit unless you knew exactly what he was doing and where it ‘s going – and had a reckless streak in you. There are some amazing people who did know where they were going; Apparently the British Prince of Wales, known for his sexual appetite, Charlie Chaplin and Cary Grant were all clients. Inevitably, criminal elements moved in; frost entered; drug gangs operated here; the brothels did a great deal. In the 1970s, sex shops came out with their lurid and sexy images and their promise of sex, however and when you wanted it.
Today’s Pigalle
Pigalle is changing fast and getting chic and trendy albeit with a still gritty edge and you still get the seedy and quirky out of the mix. The rather strange, but distinctly different, Museum of Eroticism originally at 72 Boulevard de Clichy closed its doors in November 2016. But it had a spectacular sale of the likes of a topless Mona Lisa and a ‘phallus forest’, all of which made a good half a million euros.
Where to stay
The 20-room Hotel Amour started the area’s rebirth. It is not for the faint of heart; Each piece of art has some nudity in it and some of the rooms are quite sensual. It is owned by Thierry Costes and the Swedish-born, Paris-raised graffiti artist, and nightclub entrepreneur André Saraiva. It is at 8 Rue de Navarin.
What to eat
New places are emerging all the time. One to highlight is Buvette, the French sister of the French restaurant Manhattan. It’s at 28 Rue Henry Monnier.
But the old advice is still true: be careful here, even though it’s a pale imitation of your old raunchy self.
Entertainment
- The Moulin Rouge at 85 Boulevard de Clichy has many half-naked dancers in different acts. You can get separate tickets or join a tour that includes dinner and cabaret. He is still as famous as he always has been.
- La Cigale at 120 Boulevard de Rochechouart is a historic theater first opened in 1887 and now hosting several different musical acts, from rap to solo shows. He appeared in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and has featured such greats as David Bowie, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
- Le Trianon is a beautiful over the top Art Deco concert hall and another that has played host to the greats from Mistinguett and Jacques Brel to Macy Gray. Le Petit Trianon café-bar is good for French classics.
- Au Lapin Agile at 80 Boulevard de Rochechouart, is another historic spot that was a firm favorite with artists like Picasso. It is cozy and decorated with antique furniture.
Edited by Mary Anne Evans
