Don’T Keep Off The Grass Of Parc Monceau

When I first moved to Paris, we rented a furnished apartment in the 17th arrondissement, just near avenue des Ternes (on the “chicer” side of the 17th) and not far from Parc Monceau (actually within the confines of the 8th arrondissement). Semi-circular, it’s one of Paris’ most beautifully landscaped parks and I found myself there quite often, finding a bench near the colonnaded pond where I could read and watch the ducks glide smoothly over the surface of the water. The exquisite “manoirs” that surround it loom elegantly over its lawns.

The lawns, at the time, were forbidden to walk on and park guards would shoo off attempting picnickers. Just a couple of years ago, the city removed the ordinances forbidding the trespassing on most of Paris’ park and garden lawns, Monceau being one of them.

The park was built by Louis-Philippe d’Orléans, Duke of Chartres, in 1778. Then the Revolution confiscated it and it became a park of games and distractions after Napoléon gave it to Cambacérès, who returned it after losing money on it. It was acquired by the city in 1852 and transformed by Jean Charles Adolphe Alphand in 1861 into the English style so favored by Napoléon III, while conserving most of the eccentric bits.

Alphand worked with Baron Haussmann on the re-design of Paris and became responsible for many of the parks (including the Bois de Boulogne, the Bois de Vincennes, Buttes Chaumont, Montsouris and the gardens of the Champ-de-Mars below the Eifel Tower. The designer used Rousseau’s words from La Nouvelle Héloïse in explaining the aim: “to bring together all ages and all parts of the world in a single garden.” Many ages and parts of the world are represtented by follies: a Roman ruin, an Egyptian pyramid, a minaret, a Dutch windmill, a runined fort and other structures inspired by China, the Middle Ages and prehistory. The world’s first parachute jump — from a hot air balloon — was made here in 1797.

The Parc Monceau neighborhood has three museums: the Musée Nissim-de-Camondo, which displays an enormous sample of Decorative Arts from the second half of the 18th-century; The Musée Cernuschi shows you a collection of ancient Chinese art and the Musée Jacquemart-André specialized in French art from the 18th century, Flemish and Dutch art from the 17th century, and different works of art from the Italian Renaissance on the 1st floor.

A la prochaine…

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
E-mail: [email protected]

P.S. The nursery school and primary school of the Ecole Active Bilingue are just at the west entrance to Parc Monceau, so if you have kids entering the French education system, this is a great neighborhood to consider. The Paris Property Picks we feature today are within close proximity to the Parc Monceau and these elegant surroundings.

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PARIS 8: NEAR PARC MONCEAU
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On rue de Teheran close to Parc Monceau and Le Musée Nissim Camondo in the northern sector of the 8th. Small 1-bedroom apartment of 34m2 with open kitchen and elevator. A good pied-à-perre in this fashinable sector of the city in the style of an artists studio.

Asking Price: 191,000 euros + 2% Finder’s Fee
Serious inquiries, email: 2-1-04_Parc_Monceau

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PARIS 17: SAUSSURE / VILLIERS
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65m² 3-room apartment with equipped kitchen, cellar, lift, the living room facing south for lots of light and the bedrooms overlooking a garden. Direct access to parking and located just near the intersection of rues Saussure and Legendre.

Asking Price: 334,500 euros + 2% Finder’s Fee
Serious inquiries, email: 2-1-04_Saussure_Villiers

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PARIS 17: VILLA MONCEAU
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65m² 2-room apartment with a balcony, cellar, lift in a building of pierre-de-taille, with a large double salon and bedroom.

Asking Price: 446,250 euros + 2% Finder’s Fee
Serious inquiries, email: 2-1-04_Villa_Monceau

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PARIS 17: RUE DE PRONY
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87m² 3-room apartment with terrace, cellar, lift in an old building with parquet, moulding and fireplace.

Asking Price: 557,500 euros + 2% Finder’s Fee
Serious inquiries, email: 2-1-04_Rue_de_Prony

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