Cars are late comers. The city is not torn up to accommodate them, so the cars have to built to fit the city. There are no parking meters, or gas stations. Instead there are gas pumps on the sidewalk run by a tobacco store. The city has remained much the same for many years.
Art says it's because they realize the car is a passing thing.
You've seen those book stalls along the river in pics. There's hundreds of them but most of their stuff is crap. The older they are the more ornate, with statues. There is something about Paris that is compact. I kept running into the other members of the band at cafes, on the streets, and in galleries.