In the south-east of Paris, on the Left Bank of the Seine, the 13th arrondissement is part of the integrated areas in the late nineteenth century to the city of Paris. Industrial and worker, the 13th has undergone profound changes in the late twentieth century and is still a laboratory of urban experiments. A lively neighborhood, rich in surprises.

The 13th arrondissement has more than one facet. Indeed, for some, it remains the Chinatown of Paris. It is true that there is a very large Asian community, especially between Boulevard Masséna and Rue de Tolbiac. Exotic grocery stores and Asian restaurants attract both students and residents. For others, the 13th is a student district. The Pierre Mendès-France site, Paris I University, the École Supérieure de Journalisme in Paris, rue de Tolbiac and the Paris School of Business, rue Nationale, for example, have settled there. The National Library, Quai François Mauriac, attracts students and researchers from around the world. On the other hand, some inhabitants prefer to evoke the streets of Butte-aux-Cailles. This small neighborhood is so special, is a real village with low buildings, contrasting strongly with the towers and high buildings of the south of the district. Finally, the inhabitants of the 13th still emphasize that between the ring road, the tram, the Austerlitz station, which hosts trains and RER, and the metro, their district is one of the best connected in the city.

Attached to its industrial and popular past, the 13th arrondissement is fully integrated into the 21st century with innovative urban projects and a complete overhaul of the banks of the Seine.