Clamart, France

Capital City

With a population of 58,576, Clamart is a dense Parisian suburb that trades small-town charm for big-city headaches. The town is divided into the historic bas Clamart and the more modern petit Clamart, but both halves are plagued by persistent bureaucracy - just ask the residents of the new Panorama Lake development, whose schools were only two-thirds full two years after opening. And while the city's location 8.7 km from central Paris is convenient, it also puts residents in the crosshairs of extremist groups, as evidenced by the 1962 assassination attempt on President de Gaulle. Clamart may suit those seeking an affordable alternative to the French capital, but the tradeoffs in red tape and security are hardly worth it.