Hannah L. Says:
Where’s the best neighborhood to live in Paris?
IL France Correspondent Tuula Rampont Says:
Hi Hannah,
A few years ago, one of the most desirable neighborhoods in this ever-evolving city was the 11th arrondissement, the once staunchly proletarian Bastille quarter. Among its cobbled courtyards and narrow backstreets, many old ateliers (workshops) had been transformed into loft apartments.
But there’s always a Paris neighborhood coming into fashion.
The current housing hot spot is the Belleville neighborhood of the 20th arrondissement, where you can find tiny two-bedroom apartments for around $375,000, or larger ones from $450,000 and up.
If Paris is unfamiliar to you, some discussion of its layout will help. The river Seine divides the city into two areas, the Left Bank (Rive Gauche) and the Right Bank (Rive Droite). The Left Bank is south of the river; the Right Bank is north.
Low-numbered arrondissements (the 1st to the 8th) are central. The west of the city takes in the 8th, 16th, and 17th arrondissements; the 9th, 10th, 18th, and 19th are to the north; the 11th, 12th, and 20th are to the east; the 13th, 14th, and 15th are to the south. High-numbered arrondissements are the farthest from the city’s heart.
Each Parisian neighborhood has its own feel and character.
For example, the 5th arrondissement is the Latin Quarter—thus named because Latin was the everyday language of its students until the time of the French Revolution. Still a bohemian area and the haunt of Sorbonne students, this university district lies east of boulevard Saint-Michel.
In case you’re wondering, by the way, street titles such as boulevard and rue are always written in lower case. Also note that the two numbers on the end of a Parisian postal code explain which arrondissement a house is located in. Thus, Paris 75016 indicates an address in the 16th arrondissement; 75005 is in the 5th.
Hope that helps. And don’t forget to check out my full guide to Parisian house-hunting in Chapter 2 of Escape to France.
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