What is a No Gay Zone? But kissing, hand-holding, or even suggestive gazing should all be avoided, in our experience. Gare du Nord: A neighborhood frequented by Brits taking the Eurostar to and from London, this neighborhood has a bad reputation, but it's not all deserved.
We love it for its concentration of cheap delicious Indian food, but a very mixed population of people filling the streets right around this train station is not necessarily the most gay-friendly. The sex shops and pickpockets all over don't add to the charm. Once a few blocks from the station, it becomes less seedy.
Cute coffee shops and some newer boutiques mingle with afro-hair salons and barber shops. Just keep moving until you reach your destination. We bike through it occasionally, or meet for coffee at Lomi, but parts of it can seem sketchy, so we get why it was targeted as a No Go Zone. Chances are nothing would happen, but it could be risky.
Chatelet Les Halles: Though this neighborhood is right next to the Marais and many gay bars, you may want to avoid the PDAs for a moment. The Fountain of the Innocents, near the entrance to the giant underground suburban train station, is often filled with suburbanites of a rougher sort. Pigalle: While it may be home to the Moulin Rouge and lots of seedy nightlife, the Boulevard de Clichy can be a pretty scary place to walk through late at night.
Local drunks, party-goers, frat boys, and the other dregs of cheap and tawdry nightlife will all be hanging out in the streets. You don't need to be gay to be harassed here, but you are definitely upping your chances with any affection that you and your partner might publicly display. During the day it's totally fine, but at night, keep your wits about you, please.
