Paris' red-light district Pigalle turned into hipster heaven

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00Famous for its neon signs, sex shops and the iconic red windmill of the Moulin Rouge,

00:07the Pigalle area is a must-see for those visiting France's capital.

00:11It is iconic, it is very French, you wouldn't see it anywhere else.

00:16There are sex shops everywhere and it's like, oh, okay, we didn't know about this, but that's okay.

00:23To get a sense of the heart of the neighbourhood and what it was,

00:26meet two former police officers who once patrolled the area.

00:32From 1985 to 1998 they were regulars at some of the world's most famous bars, but not for the cocktails.

00:40We had to make sure that there weren't any minors in the clubs

00:45and otherwise that there weren't any sexual acts inside the club.

00:50It happened though and we were there at the right time.

00:53We had noticed that there had been a breach of the law and we took the customer and the boss away.

00:59Night club, roder or no sœurs, what's the matter at night, all the cats will live.

01:04This neighbourhood became famous almost overnight.

01:07A place where from the 1930s the world's richest mixed with artists, dancers and sex workers.

01:13And with that came a reputation.

01:17Pigalle lives by night, mister. It's a hot neighbourhood.

01:20One that still lingers today, but is changing.

01:23Today many owners of its famed sex shops say they've had to close down.

01:28Unable to compete with the rise of online boutiques.

01:31This one replaced by a coffee shop chain.

01:34Tour guides are determined to keep the spirit of the area alive.

01:39Among this crowd are not only tourists but Parisians searching for something they say is no more.

01:45This neighbourhood has had a blade cut through it.

01:48It had a history and it's a shame to be losing bits and pieces of it little by little.

01:53But some of the area's most historic spots have found new life.

01:58Reinventing themselves to attract fresh crowds.

02:01This bar first opened in 1934.

02:06Today it's a classic cocktail bar.

02:08But as the owner tells us, some things were simply too iconic to change.

02:15The name in English is a bit vulgar.

02:17After the renovations there was a lot of talk about how we were going to keep the spirit of Pigalle

02:22and why we were going to change the history of Pigalle.

02:25Dozens of bars and restaurants have since sprung up in the surrounding streets.

02:29Some call it progress, others nostalgia lost.

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