The Parisian urban space extends on both sides of the Seine. The southern arrondissements are on the left bank, while the northern ones are on the right bank. The name of the banks is determined by the direction in which the Seine flows. Called “l’Outre-Petit-Pont” up until the Revolution, in reference to the only bridge linking it to the rest of the city, the left bank is often reduced to its universities, its intellectuals, its Latin Quarter and bohemian spirit, compared to the business districts and department stores of the right bank. The three Parisian islands in the Seine – the Ile de la Cité, the Ile Saint-Louis and the Ile aux Cygnes – do not belong to any bank.