To mark Eurostars 20th anniversary today we look at arts, activities, dining and drinking around the Gare du Nord, the Paris station where the cross-channel train arrives
The Gare du Nord, designed by the Second French Empire architect Jacques Hittorff, opened in 1864 in the heart of the 10th arrondissement. With the Gare de LEst station right next door, this neighbourhood is constantly bustling with travellers. And while it may not be the prettiest in Paris, it has little pockets of calm and typical Parisian charm, such as around the 19th-century Saint-Vincent-de-Paul church and the covered Marché Saint-Quentin food market.
The streets east of the station are home to Pariss Indian community, where youll find countless sari boutiques and food shops (which also sell British favourites such as PG Tips and Horlicks), while to the south the once predominantly Turkish and north African enclave on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis is now chequered with Brooklyn-inspired bars, gourmet hotdog and burger joints, and sleek new coffee shops.