Cheap hotels in Opéra / Grands Boulevards (9th), Paris

Main attractions: The 9th arrondissement has something of a split personality: On the one hand, it’s home to always bustling mega department stores like Galeries Lafayette and Printemps (and one of the city’s two Apple store locations) as well as the ballet and opera lovers landmark that is Opéra Garnier. But it also shares a 9th arrondissement zip code with Pigalle, home to the Moulin Rouge, birthplace of the can-can.

Neighborhood atmosphere: Until not long ago Pigalle was known for its hostess bars and seedy sex shops; now the area just south of Pigalle has been christened SoPi (a nod to SoHo) and is home to some of the city’s trendiest restaurants, upscale nightclubs and organic grocers.

Affordability: The rue des Martyrs is a main artery for decently priced food and vintage clothing, cafés and restaurants with a young hip vibe (as well as being the location of the original Rose Café, now a cult favorite).

Stay Here If: You want to be in a busy, bustling, tourist-friendly area with major shopping, a landmark cultural institution and a connection for the Air France bus to the airport near Opéra; or in the case of Pigalle, in a formerly seedy neighborhood in the midst of hipster-fueled gentrification.

Stay Elsewhere If: You prefer being in easy walking distance of major sites in central Paris.