Swimming pools !

When it gets really hot in the summer, you can visit one of the following places :

• The local Ivry swiming pool, is a very basic indoor pool, but it's only a five minutes walk from our place.

• The swimming pool in Alfortville, is much fancier, with a also smaller pool for kids and a waterslide, it's a 15 mins drive from home. It's currently being renovated but should be ready for summer 2019

• The piscine de la Butte aux Cailles, in Paris 13th district has both an indoor and an outdoor pool, and it's directly accessible via the subway line 7, get off in Tolbiac, from there it's a 5 mins walk.

• The Aquaboulevard Aquatic Park in Paris, lots of fun, lots of slides, but lots of people too, make sure to arrive as early as possible ! You can reach it using subway line 7 till Porte d'Ivry and then take the Tramway line 3a toward Pont du Garigliano and get off in Balard. The park is a 5 mins walk away from the station.

Visiting Paris with Velib'

The Velib' bike rental system has been extended last winter and there are now docking stations all around Ivry (including one right in front of our home where you can buy daily and weekly passes !). 

There, you can either rent a (green) standard bike or an electric (blue) one.

You'll find all the information you need about Velib' here (in english).

The map of the Velib' docking points.

Various blog posts about Ivry

For french speaking readers, various blogs listing places to see and thing to do in Ivry-sur-Seine :

• Some good spots in Ivry. 

• One day in Ivry-sur-Seine.

• 24h in Ivry-sur-Seine.

• Paintings by streetart artist C215 in Ivry (with many close to our place)

• Enlarge you Paris is a website dedicated to life in the suburbs, they have an article about Ivry

• A walk to discover some street art in the parisian 13th district, Ivry and Vitry.

Paris by bike

There are now numerous cycling lanes in Ivry, which you can use to reach Paris quickly and safely.

Once in Paris, you can use the following map of the main cycling lanes, and you'll find information about cycling in Paris here.

If you are looking for some green, you can also use your bikes (or the Velib' bike sharing service, which is also available in Ivry) to reach the Bois de Vincennes (in 10 to 15 minutes, map with cycling paths here), or you can try one of the cycling paths along the rivers Seine and Marne nearby.

Centre Pompidou

Le Centre Pompidou is Paris' main modern art museum, it's hosted in a stunning (and somewhat puzzling) building by architect Renzo Piano right in the centre of Paris.

The museum has a remarkable art collection, dating from 1905 to the present day, and regularly hosts temporary exhibitions. It's a very nice place to visit with children with lots of activities dedicated to families, like the Kid's Galery or workshops for children aged 2 and up. From the 5th floor (where you'll find the permanent collection) don't miss the beautiful view all over Paris !

To reach the Centre Pompidou from Ivry, simply take subway ligne 7 toward la Courneuve and get off in Châtelet. The museum is a five minutes walk away.

 

(As a child, I used to think the building was unfinished, until my mother told me it had been inaugurated ten years ago and was not going to change anymore...)