Although located in Paris’s high-street shopping district Rue de Rivoli, this artist collective of six floors can be easily overlooked with its very small entrance.

59 Rivoli used to be an old building abandoned by a bank. In 1999, a group of artists occupied it for their exhibitions and performances. It became one of the city’s popular illegal artist squats and also attracts a lot of visitors ever since. Years later, Paris city decided to legalise it and allow many artists to host their studios here at minimum rent.

Belleville, a colourful, multi-ethnic neighbourhood and also where one of Paris’s two main Chinatowns. I found out about Belleville only during my last two visits to Paris, as I was looking for some authentic Chinese food other than in the major Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement.