Taking It off the Street

JEAN-MANUEL SIMOES/EDITING

MARKETPLACE: Critics say the new law will simply push prostitution back underground

When Henry Miller arrived in Paris in 1930, he was immediately impressed by one aspect of the French capital's street life. "Montmartre is simply lousy with whores," he noted on his first Sunday in town. "They sit in the cafés and beckon to you from the window, or bunk smack up against you in the street, and invite you to come along." You're more likely to bump into a tourist in Montmartre today, but Miller would recognize those streetwalkers in other parts of the city. After dark, the ringroad that circles Paris is dotted with very young girls in very short...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!