A grubby, ugly and grey crossroads, yet strangely beautiful by the evening sun. It always makes me happy when I pass through because ten minutes walk in any direction leads to some of my favourite places: the best fromager, thrift stores, the best boulangerie for tartes, the canal, bars, my apartment, B.D. (comix) shops, the best butcher, the huge deco Rex cinema, the best veg markets, my band's underground rehearsal room, my part time job, art galleries, etc etc!
Messy, busy, mangled, cheap, friendly and relaxed bar in Belleville. Unchanged for years, just layered with tags, stickers, laquered beer spillage and cigarette ash; but bright and light at the same time.
If you're looking for somewhere that has an an excellent selection of artist books then Yvon Lambert is the place to go. Not only that but they sell incredible tote bags, with great straps and nice minimal design that will last you a life time. Out the back is a small gallery space, often showcasing the work of featured artist who's book is for sale in the shop. One of my favourite things about this shop is how friendly and welcomign they are! Not only that but they do cool collaborations, such as the one with David Horvitz, where he emails them a new photograph of the sky every day, the bookshop prints it out and you can only buy that one image on the day.