In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as dix-neuvième.

The arrondissement, known as Butte-Chaumont, is situated on the right bank of the River Seine.

The 19th arrondissement, mixing the Old French bohemianism and also the Parisian cosmopolitanism, includes two public parks: the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, located on a hill, and the Parc de la Villette, which is home to the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, a museum and exhibition centre, the Conservatoire de Paris, one of the most renowned music schools in Europe, the Cabaret Sauvage, the Zénith de Paris and the Philharmonie de Paris,[2] both part of the Cité de la Musique.

The land area of the arrondissement is 6.786 km2 (2.620 sq mi).

This sector has become the home for many immigrants to France, particularly from North Africa.