With so many budget hotels and good-value bistros, this area is a great option for those who plan on spending a lot of time on the Left Bank. You can stay clear of the ugly streets at the foot of the hulking Tour Montparnasse office tower, though, as well as the noisy boulevard Montparnasse -- the famous brasseries frequented by Picasso and Hemingway are still there, but the charm and character have gone. Stick to the typically Parisian rue Daguerre market street (toward place Denfert-Rochereau) and the smaller streets around métro Pernety. The contemporary art scene is alive and well at the glass-cubed Fondation Cartier, and photography fans shouldn't miss the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson. Melancholic inclinations can be indulged in the Catacombs or at the peaceful Montparnasse Cemetery, where Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir eternally rest.