Well away
from where the tourist coaches will bring you... this is however also Paris. We
are in the 18th arrondissement, in an area somehow squeezed in
between the rail tracks leading to the Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est. I did cover it only partly during a recent
walk, but hopefully enough to give an impression of how this and similar areas
in Paris are slowly transformed, basically for the better, but somehow
contributing to make the previously less expensive parts become invaded by
“bobos”. “Bobo” is a term which is short for “bourgeois” and “bohemian”.
“Bourgeois” would refer to people who possibly are fairly wealthy, at least wealthy
enough to afford a flat here – once the “cleaning” has taken place - , but maybe
not willing or able to afford the traditionally more fashionable, even more expensive arrondissements.
“Bohemian” could mean that they mostly would not be conservative right-wing,
politically speaking, but ready to live together in a more (although less and
less) mixed population. This is an ongoing process in large parts of Paris
where it becomes more and more difficult for low-income people to stay, despite
obligations and efforts by the City to offer “social housing”.
Anyhow,
obviously some rehabilitation of this area was – is – needed. There are many
evacuated buildings, preparing for new ones.
Already the
closeness to the shuntyards is a problem.
On one side
old warehouses have been replaced by a park, “Jardins d’Eole”, created in 2007
and partly remodeled since. This is obviously not one of the most fashionable
Paris parks, but green space is always a good initiative.
On the other
side, an old warehouse, “Halle Pajol”, has recently been refashioned and offers
today shops, cafés, a library, a youth hostel…
… and under
it you find a little park landscape.
Here are a
few examples of what the area looks like today, with a mixture of older and
newer buildings, including some high ones, constructed some decades ago and
hardly fitting into the height restrictions which today are valid inside the
Paris borders.
There are
also some other small parks and gardens.
During the
walk I also passed Rue, and Square, de la Madone – yes, there is a Madonna on a
street corner, with a bakery named “Angelus” facing it and also, perhaps more surprising,
an Asiatic supermarket with the name “Supermarché de la Madone”. You find a number of
Asiatic shops and restaurants in this area. Here is also where you find one of three remaining deep spring water wells in Paris. This one offers water from a
depth of 719 m (2350 ft). (I wrote about this and the other ones here and here.)
Before
taking the metro, I passed also the “Marché de la Chapelle”, also referred to
as the “Marché de l’Olive” after the name of the passing street. Different
markets have been situated here since several centuries, but the present
building in Baltard-type architecture dates from 1885 and has recently been
renovated.
3 comments:
There's always hope......
I am very impressed by the way you put this post together!
It looks beautiful to look at (of course your great photography helps, no?) But I can guess the amount of work it took. Your perfect command of the language is also impressive.
Because of my personality type, this is the kind of area I would choose for a place to live.
Thank you, M. Peter.
Maria
Those loved green spaces and the markets
Bonjour cher Peter,
C'est toujours un ravissement que de me promener avec toi dans Paris à travers tes photos et tes mots. J'espère bien pouvoir le faire une fois autrement lorsque je me rendrai dans la capitale.
Si, un jour tu te trouves à Lyon, n'hésite pas à me faire signe également!
❀ Gros bisous ❀
Très belle visibilité sur ce « grand » quartier. Une évolution lente mais une évolution qu’il est sympa de suivre à travers tes billets.
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