Paris east of the Canal St-Martin is traditionally a working-class area. The main quartiers, Belleville , Ménilmontant and Charonne , were once villages on the fringes of the city, colonized by the rural poor in the nineteenth century. The area developed a reputation as a revolutionary hot-bed, with many inhabitants taking the side of the Commune in 1871. Unfortunately, much of the area these days is characterized by high-rise housing developments, though some charming old villagey streets do remain. The main attractions in these eastern districts are the Père-Lachaise cemetery , the final resting place of many well-known artists and writers, and the Parc deLa Villette , containing a state-of-the-art science museum and many other high-tech attractions.