Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lawns and little lake is pleasantly shared by all, and the city is
taking steps to refurbish the entire area, constructing modern
apartments, offices, public facilities and a new park.
Eighteenth Arrondissement (18
e
)
Known for the tourists who swarm the
butte
(hill) every
day to visit the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, or for others
who hang out at seedy nightspots on the southern edge,
Montmartre nonetheless manages to retain some of its old-
time character in places and can be an extremely agreeable
place to live. Ranging from lovely to shabby, from enclaves
of old-time Parisians to those of recent immigrants, the 18th
arrondissement
ascends winding picturesque streets from the
boulevard de Clichy and boulevard de Rochechouart, peaks
at the Butte Montmartre and flows out to the
périphérique
. It
is probably one of the most unpretentious areas of the city,
with few historic monuments and little modern development.
Some areas are well worth considering and some are
definitely not recommended.
An area of fields, vineyards and gypsum mines until the
early 20th century, Montmartre became a place of pilgrimage
after the decapitation of the Christian bishop, Saint Denis
in ancient times. It was more recently that Montmartre
acquired its present reputation when, attracted by the fact
that the hilly area laid outside the city's toll walls, the low
rents and cheap nightlife, workers descended here from the
countryside during the Industrial Revolution, as did artisans,
struggling artists, political protesters and anarchists during
the Paris uprisings. Today, however, the southern edge teems
with tourists who savour the artificial bohemian atmosphere
created by shopkeepers.
Nonetheless, at the western side of Butte Montmartre,
between Sacré-Cœur and the Montmartre cemetery, there
are some wonderful residential nooks, charming squares
and winding narrow streets with both older and newer
homes, some with gardens. Real estate prices here can be
high—though still lower than in more trendy areas—and the
views and atmosphere may be worth the price. Look above
rue des Abbesses, which intersects rue Lépic, the famous
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