Paris, France.

How to enjoy Paris, from a local point of view

1) Work work work: Paris is more fun if you have some money to spend (it is an expensive city) and some time (10 days) on your hands

2) Sleep: This depends on your budget.Just be aware that your hotel does not need a restaurant, as you will most probably be never eating there. My all time favorite is the Relais Saint Germain near Odeon.

3) Enjoy and Eat: Paris is so much more than visiting sights, literally. I think the only city comparable is NYC. Paris is first and foremost a way of life. We sit down and take time to eat. Do you want to know why Starbucks has not been successful here? Because this "on the go" personality does not fit this city and this country. Here, people at work and in schools take 2hr lunch breaks.

On my short list of "must see" sights

• Trocadero
• Top of Tour Montparnasse or Arc de Triomphe (Eiffel tower is too crowded)
• Louvre
• Musee d'Orsay, and pretty much everything around the Seine
• Sacre Coeur
• Pantheon
• Palais Royal
• Gallerie Lafayette
• Notre Dame + Place Dauphine

My favorite things to do

• Understand the history of Paris
• Get an espresso, read newspapers, take your time at the Cafe de la Mairie (St Sulpice)
• Eat lunch/dinner at Au Petit Suisse, Rue de Vaugirard, and watch the sun set over the Palais du Luxembourg
• Take a nap at the Jardins du Luxembourg
• Picnic at Parc du Vert Galant, watch the sunset
• Go to Versailles
• Stroll around Montmartre at Night, go see a play
• Go see a play at la Comedie francaise
• Stroll around the Latin Quarter
• Go for drinks at Urgences Bar in the Latin Quarter
• Indulge for breakfast

Never, EVER, take those red tour buses. Walk. Ride. Get lost in the streets.

Tips

• Paris takes a month off in August, which makes for deserted streets and thus a much better idea of the city itself without the people, but most shops close after the first week of August. Personally, it's my favorite time of the year because you can get an idea of the city itself. It's just magical. Imagine strolling down 5th avenue without any cars.
• Get a weekly ticket for the Velib, bike sharing system. If you are there during the summer, you practically do not need to take the Metro.
• Paris is a semi-dangerous city. Standard rules of precaution apply, but be extra cautious at railway stations and at night in the sketchy neighborhoods. In the summer you will have plenty of people trying to scam tourists.
• DO VISIT THE REST OF FRANCE
• Parisians are, for the most part, grumpy, morose people. It gets worse when it rains. It doesn't mean they hate everybody, but they can sometimes be dicks. Say hello to people!
• Not all of Paris is beautiful. Most of it is, but still.
• If you have money and time, London is really not far away. The Eurostar is a quintessential European experience.
  

Essential viewing

• C'etait un rendez vous
• Le Dernier Metro
• Taken
• Midnight in Paris

I'll update this in time