I’ve been to Paris four times—once in the late ‘nineties, in the early 2000s, and most recently in 2017 and 2018. My experiences were mostly confined to the main parts of the city and not the outskirts. Overall, I enjoyed each of my times and seemed to blend in, even as a black American. In fact, every time I go there foreigners for some reason tend to approach me asking for directions. In 2017 I was there during a French election season and French politicians in different parts of the city would approach me on the street asking for my vote until I told them I was American. So I felt more safe and comfortable in Paris than I do in many American cities.
I’ve been to Paris four times—once in the late ‘nineties, in the early 2000s, and most recently in 2017 and 2018. My experiences were mostly confined to the main parts of the city and not the outskirts. Overall, I enjoyed each of my times and seemed to blend in, even as a black American. In fact, every time I go there foreigners for some reason tend to approach me asking for directions. In 2017 I was there during a French election season and French politicians in different parts of the city would approach me on the street asking for my vote until I told them I was American. So I felt more safe and comfortable in Paris than I do in many American cities.