Parks, streets, boulevards, a storied history, and an eclectic mix of people: Belleville has it all! This historic neighborhood in Paris’s 20th arrondissement has been home to many different immigrant groups over the years and in recent times has taken a turn for the “bobo.”

Melissa is truly multi-talented. You’ve heard her sing and watched her clever, creative music videos. Did you know she also has a role in the mega blockbuster From Paris with Love, with John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers? We’re starstruck!

International soccer in South Africa isn’t just for the World Cup! A group of eight kids from Lyon has the chance to win big—on and off the field—thanks to the “Sport in the City” association.

Nicola Sirkis, head of Indochine, the new wave French rock band that’s been popular since the 1980s, has a few things to say about some of his fellow artists. (Could he mean megastar Johnny Hallyday?) Nicola’s strong voice (in many senses) is clearly one of the reasons Indochine has so much staying power.

Frenchman Jean-Marc takes a trip to the seaside and lets us know how the beaches of New York’s Long Island compare to those in France. (Though clearly he’s never been to Long Beach on a holiday weekend!)

The Gallery Art Up Deco in scenic Strasbourg showcases the work of contemporary artists and aims to have something for everyone. Owner and gallery manager Toufik Zekhnini shows us the ropes.

A group has designed a new tool to bring sex education into the digital age. It’s “Neutros”: an informative and fun online video game designed to teach young people about sexuality, contraception, and other adolescent issues.

It’s the perfect day for a stroll along the Atlantic. Jean-Marc shows off more of his hospitable surroundings. Check out the sun, sand, and cold, cold water.

High school teacher Karen Montet-Toutain was the victim of one of the worst recent cases of school-related violence when she was stabbed by a student in her classroom. She has written a book about her struggles, and hopes for rehabilitation of her attacker.

Saxophonist Alex Terrier talks about how he came to be a jazz musician and shares some photos. Come take a glimpse inside the life of this gifted artist.

Take a tour of the Butte Bergeyre, a charming area of Paris that even Parisians don’t know much about. Unlike the rest of the city, you won’t find many tourists here -- though you may spot a vineyard or two!

Paris's Gay Pride march (La Marche des Fiertés) takes place every June, beginning in the Montparnasse district and ending in the Bastille district. This video of the march was recorded a few years before France legalized same-sex marriage in 2013.

Arlette Grosskost, UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) representative and member of the Parliamentary task force on the burqa in France, advocates a law aiming to ban the wearing of the full-body veil in public. What’s your take on this controversial issue? Is it a question of women’s rights? Of religious freedom? Are arguments against the burqa perhaps another type of veil—to cover up underlying racism?

Dive back in to the 1968 winter Olympics, held in Grenoble, France. “Treize jours en France,” a recently restored documentary film made in ‘68 by director Claude Lelouch, captures the spirit of the times, and the “pre-revolutionary” zeitgeist leading up to the events of May.

Alex Terrier’s second project as a bandleader, Roundtrip, is a critically-acclaimed album in the vein of John Coltrane. Listen to it in full (and for free!) here.