I think that's a little bit apples to oranges
DC's equivalent neighborhoods to the middle fine-grained one would be
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wa...!4d-77.0368707
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wa...!4d-77.0368707
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wa...!4d-77.0368707
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wa...!4d-77.0368707
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wa...!4d-77.0368707
whereas the somewhat monotonous Parisian boulevards I was mentioning would be
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pa...14!4d2.3522219
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pa...14!4d2.3522219
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pa...14!4d2.3522219
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pa...14!4d2.3522219
does this look pedestrian friendly? this is like walking around the Mall on DC.
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.8649...7i16384!8i8192
basically vast areas of Paris (while beautiful and absolutely urban) look exactly the same. not a criticism necessarily, but it's a feature of the city nonetheless and differentiate it from chaotic London and certainly New York.
https://www.google.com/maps/@48.8746...7i16384!8i8192
That area south of Pigalle and the hill up to Montmartre is indeed some nice fine grained urbanity, some of my favorite parts of Paris. that, and the 14th.