Scattered throughout Paris you’ll these find wonderful shopping/commercial arcades called “Passage” or “Galerie.” There’s one at the end of my block called Passage du Grand Cerf – you can see its entrance (the arched opening in the background) in this photo I took from my living room window this morning. These arcades are usually narrow (taking the place of what would be a cobblestone street), glass-roofed, about four stories high, and situated between two buildings. 
Each side is typically lined with shops, restaurants, artisan studios, etc. Passage du Grand Cerf was built in 1835 and contains jewelers, florists, antique dealers, home/office furnishings (the giant turquoise tiled vases were in their window), upholstery shops, a condiments shop, etc. 
The restaurant my friends and I enjoyed last night, Passage 53, was in Passage des Panoramas, the earliest surviving Passage (built in 1800), about a mile northwest of my apartment. Over 100 Passages existed in 1840; now only about 20 remain, but many of them are apparently being renovated and brought back to life.
You might think that they would be rather claustrophobic, but because of all the light reaching the interior and because they’re so tall, they really are quite comfortable, especially in inclement weather! I think I’ll have to make a project of visiting all the Passages in town. I now have two more of them checked off my list (I visited a couple others a few years ago)!
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