Lille's downtown. Just a few minutes away from the train station Lille Flandres, you fill find the "Grand Place", with its shops and restaurants. From there you can easily access: - The "Vieille Bourse", the old stock exchange building opening into a courtyard housing daily flower and book markets - The main streets: Rue Faidherbe, Rue Nationale and the pedestrian Rue de Bethune - Vieux Lille: the old paved city - Place Rihour: another square full of shops and restaurants. For New Yorkers, this is usually where crazy people hand around, you'll feel at home.
This is the "Old City" full of chic boutiques, restaurants and bars. High heels are not recommended to walk the paved streets. A map (or phone if you're from this era) can be useful not to get lost in the meandering streets, although it is one of the best things to enjoy there.
The Citadel and its surrounding park are a must to be visited on a sunny day... Or cloudy... Or as long as it doesn't rain, let's remember it's the North... For the amateurs, it also has a free zoo to explore.
The fourth largest museum of France!
The city hall and it's belfry, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Book a timeslot and a ticket to visit its impressive point of view, culminating at 104 meter! For New Yorkers, this is about 1/4th the Empire State so don't be disappointed... Yay us!
A large outdoor market held every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday mornings
A big commercial center that has one of the two train stations on each side
Now we get personal. They will mostly have products in french but this is my favorite geek shop with comics, mangas, card games, board games and merchandising.
Specialized in parodic t-shirts. A lot of french puns but very funny nonetheless
Nice small place with traditional dishes, drinks and games. Geeky but very convivial.
My favorite (un)traditional pizza place. It would make any italians go mad but I've been going there since I was 18 and been going there every time I got the occasion. Nothing fancy but I've always loved the place, loved the people, loved the food. Cheap and you won't go hungry! If we are in Lille at the same time, there is a good chance I'll bring you there anyway...
The ultimate geek bar experience. Whether your deal is board games, video games, cinema, tv, a bit of all or none of them, just go there.
We stole it from our Belgian friends. A really nice cocktail bar.