The Hippest Part of Town: The Haut Marais

At least a dozen people sent me the Wall Street Journal article, “Paris’s Haut Marais: From Shabby to Chic,” knowing the affection I have for the district in which I’ve resided for almost 17 years.

The author, J.S. Marcus, is a journalist and novelist with a long list of articles about art and architecture in Europe in the WSJ. He must read Parler Paris or the French Property Insider Nouvellettres® because he mentions in the article things I write about regularly — that “Mr. Aidenbaum [the mayor of the 3rd district] lives on rue Charlot, a prime Haut Marais street associated with Café Charlot, a watering hole opened in late 2007, where patrons include actor Jean Dujardin, Oscar-winning star of ‘The Artist’ and an area resident.” (Perhaps you’ve seen the candid photos I’ve taken of M. Dujardin or read about the encounter I had with him while he ate a hamburger with his hands, not with a fork and knife! (adrianleeds.com/parler-nice/archive/)

When I first moved into the district, it was just what he called it: shabby. Actually, I used to think of it more as “scruffy.” There was graffiti on the walls of the old buildings, run-down independent merchants along rue de Bretagne with wholesalers, factories and “rétoucheurs” (tailor shops) of abundance on the side streets (my block alone had eight and now not a single one). The oldest covered market in the city (dating back to 1615), Le Marché des Enfants Rouges, was under controversy as there were discussions of turning it into a parking lot. A few outdoor market stands would appear a couple times a week along the side of the Square du Temple. And rue de Bretagne was a major thoroughfare with narrow sidewalks, no trees and no lampposts. Café Charlot at that time was a bad bakery painted a bright red that no one bothered to patronize.

It was by chance that I landed there and in this apartment — owned by the daughter of a friend and rented furnished by the year — I moved my daughter and I in without knowing anything about the neighborhood. It was clear, however, that it was on the rise. When my sister and mother came to visit in the late ’90s, I warned them: “Ignore the graffiti and the scruffiness of the neighborhood. This is one of Paris’ most up-and-coming spots in town. You just won’t know it by looking at it from the outside.” We liked it this way — it was REAL.

People who didn’t know the district would argue that the Haut Marais wasn’t ‘really’ Le Marais — that it was a ‘stepchild’ to the 4th. Boy, were they ever wrong. This northern area of Le Marais is not only one of the most historical, but is also one of the most conveniently located. It is known as the “Quartier du Temple,” where the Knights of Templar, a religious and military order formed in the 12th-century to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land, had a large portion of land and where their Templar Tower stood. It later became a prison for the doomed French monarchy. The Tower was razed in 1808, and the Carreau du Temple market built in its place in 1857 by Baron Haussmann (recently renovated and reopened), along with the Mairie for the 3rd arrondissement and the park, the Square du Temple.” (I quote my own writing! See adrianleeds.com/quartiers/ for more information.)

Things really changed dramatically once rue de Bretagne was reconstructed. One summer many years ago, the city widened the sidewalks, narrowed the street, added lamps and trees. Le Marché des Enfants Rouges was renovated back into a real market. Life changed. When the Arab-owned “primeur” (fresh produce shop) on the corner became a fancy eyewear boutique, my daughter exclaimed, “Oh no! The neighborhood is going to the dogs!”

Of course, all this gentrification has been a big boost to the value of property. The apartment I bought 17 years ago would sell today for about five times what I paid for it in euro value (even more in dollar value now that the dollar is weak to the euro), so I’m not complaining! And while most American tourists used to run to the Left Bank for hotels and apartments, they’ve changed their plans to stay in Le Marais.

The 3rd is still one of Paris’ best property bargains. When we do a return-on-investment analysis for a client purchasing an investment property, the 3rd comes up best for lowest price with highest yield. The apartments in the 3rd now rent just as well as those on the Left Bank, but the per square meter prices still outperform the 5th, 6th and even the 4th districts.

This morning American vacationers called wanting to ask about rental apartments located in the 3rd district. They were used to staying in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and weren’t familiar with the 3rd. “What’s the neighborhood like? Is it safe? Is it close to the sights? How long does it take to walk to Notre Dame?”

What I told them is that “You’d have to use a crowbar to get me out of the district!”…That they would have a more authentic experience — that the 3rd was still very much a neighborhood, a village — a place were real Parisians live and work and that they would have a much better time staying here than among the tourists on the more-beaten paths. And safe? Of course!

As a resident, I do miss some of what existed before the big shift from shabby to chic. But I do like that there are more restaurants and boutiques and galleries, that you hear many different languages on the streets thanks to the influx of foreigners and visitors, that the property values have gone up-up-up and that by pure chance, I live in the hippest part of town.

A bientôt,

Adrian Leeds

Director of The Adrian Leeds Group, LLC

(on rue de Bretagne)

Respond to Adrian: [email protected]

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