The long day of history and culture is over. Now to really get in with the locals. The streets around the Basilica du Sacre Coeur and Monmartre have a wide collection of funky bars, jazz bars, karaoke, wine and cocktail bars. Most places stay open late during the summer months with seating outside to enjoy the warm evenings. For those looking for a bit more action there is Place Pigalle with a range of late night clubs and bars, the redlight district and round the Moulin Rouge for cabaret fans and revamped Marais with loads of trendy new nightclubs. Roads to follow are Rue De Abbesses in Monmartre, Place Pigalle, Rue de Oberkampf , and even the Champs Elysee. Some clubs will have a steep cover charge but most include at least one drink. Dress for dance bars is tidy.
Other stuff to do in Paris.
This rather impressive church sitting on the highest point in Paris was completed in 1910 at the behest of the locals. They made a vow after their defeat in the Franco-Prussian war to build the church, probably as a way to say thank you for not being totally annihilated . The interior is worth checking out, as is the view from the dome. Basilica open everyday, 6am-10.30pm, dome and crypt, 9am-5.45pm.
The daylife is just as interesting as the nightlife. Originally this was the bohemian quarter, attracting artists, musicians, writers and their muses during the 19th C. Walk the narrow streets behind the boulevard that are crammed with cheap clothing and shoe stores, piazzas full of sketch artists and buskers and café/bars serving food and drink all day. The steps leading up to the Basilica through the gardens offer an amazing vista for those looking for somewhere to eat their baguette while listening to the buskers. Monmartre gardens close at dusk.
Alfred Le Notre created this green space to compliment the Palais Tuilieres which unfortunately burnt down in the 1789 revolution . The green spaces have sculptures on display by modern artists as well as a collection of classical forms. Take a stroll down to the Louvre end to see the Joan of Arc statue, French peasant girl burned at the stake for encouraging a battle with the English that ended in (typical) defeat in 1429, and not content with just the one arch Napoleon had the smaller scale Arc du Triomphe du Carousel built here to display the impressive Quadriga - the four horses on top. These are actually copies of the originals he bought home with him from Venice, which he was made to give back.