Paris 1er Arrondissement

Background

The 1er arrondissement may be one of the smallest but it still forms the centre of contemporary Paris and with part of the Ile de la Cité falling into its boundaries, the roots of the ancient city which was founded on the island, are also represented. The use of the Palais du Louvre as a royal residence for four centuries had much influence on the immediate vicinity with palaces, mansions and gardens beings built in much of surrounding area and bestowing upon the district an aristocratic air which can still be felt today. By contrast, the eastern section of the arrondissement, known as Les Halles, was once a busy market famously described by Zola as ‘the belly of Paris’.

The historic covered marketplace closed in 1969 and was eventually revamped into an underground shopping centre at the beginning of the 1980’s. The area of Les Halles is  currently at the heart of  a major new redevelopment project which is scheduled for completion in 2016. The variation between the elegantly austere areas around Place Vendome and the Louvre, and the bustling, touristic neighbourhood of Les Halles makes the 1er a fascinatingly diverse neighbourhood.

Profile

With so many businesses, historical and cultural locations and parks in the small area of the 1er there is little space left for housing which explains why this arrondissement has the lowest number of residents (less than 18,000 inhabitants). It is the prestige of the area with its grand history and luxury shopping as well as its central location which attract businessmen and executives looking for a high standard of living. This is one of the most desirable addresses in Paris with half of the foreigner buying in the area being Italian.

The 1er arrondissement is divided into 4 quartiers: Les Halles, Palais Royal, Place Vendôme and Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois. The most exclusive of these is Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois followed by Place Vendôme and Palais Royal. As one of the oldest areas of the capital, there are many residential buildings dating from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries all recognizable from their beautiful refined architecture. Given the absence of new constructions many 4, 5 and 6 room apartment are renovated ‘as new’ in these old buildings. There are also some stunning duplexes with private terraces.