Do you find as a tourist Paris clean or dirty ? (live, pollution)

[internat]

I would agree with that. Capitals are rarely representative of the rest of the country. You are far more likely to find anything more genuine and native in smaller cities. I mainly travel to explore where to settle down and I find cleanliness important. For example, except a few residential neighbourhoods in London are very dirty. It's merely your opinion what are the world's best cities.

Originally Posted by CLS63

No offense, but unless you're going to some slum in India that's the dumbest thing I've heard someone base their vacation off of.

If you want squeaky clean, avoid all cities. But you're missing out on life because the worlds best cities aren't clean. It's impossible given the amount of people who pass through and reside in cities. If you want clean, head to a countryside.

[internat]

Stockholm has become dirtier in recent years. Nonetheless, that is surprising.

Originally Posted by uncut

I thought it was clean compared to Stockholm.

[iKnan]

it has it's clean and dirty areas but overall relative to it's size though it's clean. what really bugs me about Paris or France is general is the number of smokers.

[ciggas]

Originally Posted by iKnan

it has it's clean and dirty areas but overall relative to it's size though it's clean. what really bugs me about Paris or France is general is the number of smokers.

dont go to china its even worse

[Sparco]

I would return to Paris forever if things could be arranged....nothing is more beautiful than the Seine River at night, or early evening, the swans beneath the Eiffel Tower, or the pink sky looming over the Louvre when floating by it, or Notre Dame Cathedral on a lovely autumn morning, the Opera House in the winter, with its lovely steps and mystique...how could anyone think of Paris as dirty....old maybe.... very very old, a relic to be cherished and loved....but never ever dirty... just old, and getting better as it stays old....just my thoughts...because I fell in love there, had to leave, and oh well...you know how that goes...I love Paris...yep.

[recycled]

Sparco, your comments remind me of the song by 10cc in the 1970s, "One night in Paris is like a year in any other place".
Paris is one of the crown jewels of the world's cities. So much class and style. Sure it's got some rough edges and some grit here and there, but that's just part of the blend. The French figured out that just because places get old and and a bit worn, you don't go right out and tear them down and put up some sterile glass and steel box, otherwise you end up with a sterile city with no class or style.

[internat]

It's not just France. Rather there's a general difference between the old and the new world. Australia and Canada both have an important population element from the British Isles. Nonetheless, when it comes to comparing the architecture of Australian/Canadian cities to the British Isles there is not much they have in common except maybe a few replicas.

There are a few American cities with architecture left over from colonial times. Boston, Savannah and New Orleans come to mind. They are still relatively modern compared to what you would find in say France, Iran, or China. Modern is not necessarily bad. The British have long had an uneasy relationship to modern architecture. Frankly, because it often turns out looking bad. It's especially the case when modern buildings are built in a way to give the impression of being old. Then again one could say what is considered "bad" or "ugly". It's a matter of context.

European cities heavily bombed in WW2 are mostly modern. Rotterdam (the Netherlands) is a good example of a European city with modern architecture. On the other hand cities such as Prague (Czech Rep.) and Krakow (Poland) that came through WW2 unscathed retained centuries old architecture.

A lot of the socialist cement block architecture in European suburbs built in the 1960-1970s are associated with social deprivation and segregation. No one decide to live there. There are important social and cultural factors which architects should consider. We get a disaster when politicians on a high level create their own unrealistic utopian projects.

Modern architecture needs a human scale. Paris does it well with plazas surrounding modern structures which attract people. Computer modelling can be used to take into account the human experiences. Even so architects need to have an eye for seeing into the future.

Originally Posted by recycled

The French figured out that just because places get old and and a bit worn, you don't go right out and tear them down and put up some sterile glass and steel box, otherwise you end up with a sterile city with no class or style.

[Sparco]

Originally Posted by recycled

Sparco, your comments remind me of the song by 10cc in the 1970s, "One night in Paris is like a year in any other place".
Paris is one of the crown jewels of the world's cities. So much class and style. Sure it's got some rough edges and some grit here and there, but that's just part of the blend. The French figured out that just because places get old and and a bit worn, you don't go right out and tear them down and put up some sterile glass and steel box, otherwise you end up with a sterile city with no class or style.

yes, thats so true, I felt the same way about Madrid...many would say its a really dirty place, but actually, the ancient feel of it and the old dirty look is what makes these old cities glow in my opinion...and you are bringing out an EXCELLENT point about how some parts of the world tear down old relics, boy is that ever true in America, particularly our vintage old Victorian homes and such... down they come and up goes the future look....ah, give me the old look and the old precious things of yesteryear....

[Baja Boomer]

I always think of Paris as "well lived in", like a favorite pair of pumps that may be a bit worn down at the heels in places but can't be beat for style and comfort and they still take a a very nice shine. What I love about it is that it's alive.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by moving123456

I thought that Paris was the dirtiest European city that I have ever visited.

Try Milan sometime.

And no, I have never found Paris to be dirty...just gorgeous.