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If you find yourself doing business in Paris, it is practically inevitable that you will spend some time in Clichy. Sometimes considered the "second business district" of Paris after La Defense, Clichy is home to L'Oreal and Bic, along with many other companies, large and small.

If you're busy rushing to a meeting, it's easy to overlook the charm of Clichy. It wasn't until our third meeting in the area that we had enough time to look around and appreciate it ourselves. The main street — Rue Martre — that hosts the Mairie de Clichy (Clichy Town Hall) metro station is uninspiring. However, essentially tucked behind the monolithic L'Oreal headquarters is a delightful hidden village. If you're in Paris on business — and in the district already — travelgasm.com proposes that Clichy is well worth finding the time to enjoy properly.

If you're in Paris on holiday, Clichy could be a welcomed discovery for you, even though it typically receives little attention from tourists. It actually does have a tourism office, but at the time that we first wrote this piece, the neighborhood had little presence on the big tourist advisory sites and the tourist office had only three reviews on the world's search engine. Of these three, two were from French trolls mocking the idea of tourism in the area. It is true that Clichy has few formal attractions, but at its best, it is a nice stroll with charming buildings as well as restaurants and bars priced for locals rather than tourists. It feels like a small village nestled within Paris because that is exactly what it is.

Although a settlement in the area goes back to the Middle Ages, the currently constructed village was established in 1846. Sometimes called Clichy-la-Garenne, the village portion of Clichy is centered around the leafy Boulevard Jean Jaurès that proudly displays the historical town hall — with modern vehicle parking discreetly tucked underneath its public courtyard — and the attractive Eglise Saint Vincent de Paul (church). The Pavillon Vendôme, around the corner, also is a beautifully restored historical building that contains a small art gallery. It also might also be of interest.

To eat in Clichy, well-regarded options include La Cocotte et La Marmite for French, La Romantica for Italian, and Oshi for Japanese. Plenty of inexpensive, but lovely crêperies, cafés, and brasseries with plat du jour (plate of the day) lunch specials for office workers are in the area, too.

We've mapped out our favorite short walk through the village from Mairie de Clichy station below. It takes you from the station to Boulevard Jean Jaurès and back in a convenient loop. If you have more time in the area — and don't mind an extra 1.7 km (1 mile) total walk there and back — the people-priority street of Allées Léon Gambetta that leads to the attractive community park of Gardes Urbains du Parc Roger Salengro is pleasant as well, and we've mapped out the best route for that option, too.

How to Get Here: Take Line 13 to Mairie de Clichy station. Make sure not to confuse Mairie de Clichy with the similarly named Porte de Clichy or Place de Clichy (near Moulin Rouge) also on Line 13. To follow our recommended walk from Mairie de Clichy station, start at Exit 2 (R. Charles et René Auffray). Make a 180-degree turn from the exit to begin the walk. It ends at Exit 3 (R. Villeneuve).

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