Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This is certainly one of the most agreeable
quartiers
in the
city. Between the relaxed 5
e
on the east and the reserved 7
e
on
the west, housing here shares the character of its neighbours.
It starts at a reasonable price along the east and gradually
becomes extremely expensive the farther west one goes,
particularly between boulevard Saint-Germain and the Seine.
The atmosphere is unique, and it is one Parisians are fighting
to preserve, although the battle seems lost. Local shops have
moved out as rents have risen and impersonal giants such as
Armani, Louis Vuitton and Cartier have taken their place.
Although the atmosphere may change from street to street,
it doesn't change for the worse. Around Place Saint-Sulpice,
with its fountained square and fashionable surrounds, and
along such streets as the classy rue de Tournon, rue de
l'Odéon, the wide boulevard Raspail and rue Notre-Dame-
des-Champs, the apartments are large, airy, and expensive.
This holds true especially for buildings overlooking the
spectacular Jardin du Luxembourg, one of the nation's most
beloved public gardens and once the exquisite palace grounds
of Marie de Médicis. This residential part of the
quartier
may
be more quiet in spots, but it picks up once again as the busy
rue de Rennes reaches Montparnasse, where the atmosphere
of quiet sophistication begins to disappear.
Seventh Arrondissement (7
e
)
Despite the tourists that stream constantly to the Eiffel
Tower, Les Invalides and the Musée de Quai Branly, the 7th
arrondissement
is one of the most tranquil areas of the city.
The broad, leafy streets provide a haven for residents, for the
government ministries and embassies that have moved into
the 18th-century mansions of the aristocracy and for some
erstwhile nobles who still live in their ancestral homes. This is
'old money' Paris. The presence of the Assemblée Nationale,
UNESCO and the area's most famous official resident—the
French prime minister—at the Hôtel Matignon, makes this
the safest
arrondissement
in the city.
Living here is extremely agreeable, with some parts
seeming like a suburb in the city centre. In general, this is an
open and airy
arrondissement
, with its widest border along
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