The Marais is another distinct Parisian neighborhood. And I’m meeting up with my friend and fellow tour guide, Thierry Gauduchon.

Rick: I love the Marais.

Thierry: Of course, you do. I mean, this is a typical classical neighborhood of Paris. Look at the beautiful atmosphere! Look at the architecture everywhere, you know?

Rick: Yeah. Yeah.

Thierry: And this is my neighborhood. I live here.

I love to take a moment just to appreciate Parisian street scenes like this. Once a mucky slum—marais means swamp—it was drained and gentrified in the 17th century by King Henry IV.

With Henry’s support, Place des Vosges became the centerpiece of what was the finest neighborhood in town.

Thierry: The Marais is a pretty small part of Paris, a very small neighborhood, but now this is the place to be.

Rick: And this would be the center, this Place des Vosges.

Thierry: Exactly. We say it’s “bobo.”

Rick: Bobo?

Thierry: Bobo. First “bo” stands for bourgeois, second “bo” for bohemian.

Rick: I like that: bobo.

Thierry: It’s very bobo.

The parklike square is a reminder that Paris is more than a collection of world-class museums. For millions of people, it’s home—a place to raise a family, enjoy a relaxed retirement…or rendezvous with a lover.

The Marais has long been home to Paris’s Jewish community.

Thierry: So historically, they’re the oldest Jewish neighborhood of Paris.

Rick: OK. So why did the Jews settle here?

Thierry: Because before there was some swamps here. Swamps.

Rick: OK.

Thierry: And nobody wanted to come over here. It was a very poor real estate, you know, very cheap part of the city.

Rick: I remember when I first came here, this was delis and so much Jewish business here.

Thierry: Still a couple of them left, but most of the time, you can see everywhere some trendy shops, boutiques everywhere.

Rick: It’s a good example of how neighborhoods—they evolve and change their personality.

Thierry: Evolution of so many neighborhoods, you know.

Rick: If it’s cheap, it attracts the bobo.

Thierry: Exactly. You’re right. It’s a new word for you, “bobo.” That’s pretty cool.

Rick: And then it becomes trendy!

Thierry: Exactly.

And trendy Marais boutiques make for fun window-shopping. Paris is famous for its fashion.

Rick: So the window is like a work of art.

Thierry: Yeah. We say it in French, “lèche-vitrine,” like, to “lick the window.” Literally, you lick the window. You want to step in, you want to spend money, you want to become French.

Along with classy boutiques, Paris is famed for its elegant department stores. Invented here in Paris, department stores were the first to offer the convenience and efficiency of a variety of small shops under one roof. And the Galeries Lafayette’s roof is a fine example. Its centerpiece is a belle époque dome. Dating from 1912, it’s an unforgettable example of Art Nouveau—and a hit with shoppers.

The good life in Paris is easy to take for granted. But today’s freedoms and civil liberties didn’t come without a struggle. And the pinnacle of that struggle—an epic event that reverberates in the spirit of its people to this day—was the French Revolution. It was launched in 1789 with the storming of a prison that stood on this square.

That notorious prison was called the Bastille. Angry Parisians stormed it, released its prisoners, and then tore it down.

Today, it’s one of Europe’s great non-sights: There’s nothing left to see. But what we do see is the modern city that followed that revolution—a city designed not for kings but for people.