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Post by Jazz on Nov 6, 2011 21:16:13 GMT
……’ While the Marais has grown in popularity with tourists over the past ten years, the Faubourg-Saint Antoine – a little-visited neighborhood just across the Place de la Bastille — remains the province of Parisians. The neighborhood stretches along the boundary of the eleventh and twelfth arrondissements and is bisected by the rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine (not to be confused with the rue Saint-Antoine in the Marais). Faubourg Saint-Antoine has long been a district of craftsmen. Woodworkers and furniture makers have concentrated their workshops here since the fifteenth century and the neighborhood is still home to a robust design and artisan community. This workshop tradition gave rise to a unique form of nineteenth-century architecture: the passage industriel. In many ways the productive twin to the Parisian shopping arcade, passages industriels were created as live-work spaces for craftsmen. They are narrow, alley-like courts lined by glass-fronted workshops with worker housing often located above. As you make your way down the rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine or the rue de Charonne, look for large passageways set in rather conventional street facades. They have names like the Cour de l’Étoile d’Or or le Passage du Chantier or the twin Cours Saint-Joseph and J. Vigues. Don’t be shy. If you peek into the cobbled passages that lie beyond you’ll find some of the most stylish urban oases in Paris’......Docent Bernard Zirnheld. _________________________________________ My days began and ended with this small 17th century courtyard. A glimpse of its’ secluded quiet beauty, This was easily the most satisfying apartment and area to date. Loved the apartment itself and spent hours enjoying 'my' courtyard. And, moving out onto rue Faubourg Saint-Antoine, continues...
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Post by mich64 on Nov 7, 2011 1:15:04 GMT
Jazz, I loved the burgundy painted/stained window and door frames. They are made more vibrant with the foliage and I can imagine how beautiful they also must be with Christmas decorations that will be coming very soon! Loving the photos.
I did notice while being in the 11th and 12th how many home product stores there were, hardwood flooring, ceramic tile, carpet, bathroom fixtures, kitchen fixtures, all different stores lining the streets instead of clothing or souvenier shops! Now I know why.
Cheers, Mich
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 7, 2011 5:32:44 GMT
What a haven! You must have been dumbfounded at its perfection when you arrived, it's so perfectly the embodiment of where anyone would dream of staying. And you had a bookstore nearby!
Can't wait to see and hear more, although that fourth picture from the bottom, with the bamboo and the lacy leaves, has already "made" the thread for me -- just beautiful.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2011 5:50:23 GMT
That is a superb courtyard! There are really quite a few magnificent courtyards lurking behind the street entrances in Paris, but most of them retain their secrets.
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Post by bjd on Nov 7, 2011 7:42:42 GMT
That definitely is one of the nicer courtyards of the area. Its wonderful what some greenery does.
I think those few remaining passages that retain actual woodworkers or craftsmen are not as nice. The best ones, like this, house designers or others who can pay the rents.
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Post by Jazz on Nov 7, 2011 9:20:31 GMT
Thank you. The first moment I saw the courtyard I was stunned by its beauty. Throughout my stay, it moved through many moods and I was enchanted. There are a few thriving businesses there, a delightful children’s bookstore (just below me), a custom design furniture shop, a couturier and a real estate office. My courtyard was simply there, like a beauty from a forgotten age, quiet and gracious, with very few people. Every now and then small tour groups would come to enjoy it. Mich, the rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine borders the 11th arrondissement and they share a great deal of history. I think it’s only in the last 30 years that people (at least tourists) think in terms of ‘arrondissements’ instead of villages, or ‘quartiers’.
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Post by Jazz on Nov 7, 2011 10:21:10 GMT
The 12th arrondissement has a rich and fascinating history. Most of my wanderings were on rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine, rue Ledru Rollin, rue du Charonne…with infinite impromptu diversions on tiny streets and passages. The street is not long, it goes from the Bastille to Nation, just three metro stops, about a 45 minute walk. My apartment was about a third of the way along. Each day I emerged from my oasis onto the shockingly vibrant street, photo by Peter Olsen, One of my Parisian mentors was Thirza Vallois. She wrote the excellent trilogy, Around and About Paris. Fascinating. ……’In 1471 Louis XI enfranchised the craftsmen of Saint-Antoine, which gave their guild a tremendous economic boost and soon allowed its members to gain worldwide renown as cabinet makers. The craft began here because the wood, floated down the river to Paris, often as rafts, was unloaded and ‘torn up’ at the Port de la Rapee at Bercy, conveniently located near the Faubourg Saint-Antoine…..It was here in Faubourg Saint-Antoine that the Renaissance style was born, largely owing to the contact with Italy during the Italian campaigns led by Francois I and reaching its peak at the time of Henri II, when the Faubourg enjoyed the influx of expert craftsmen from Italy, Flanders and Germany. ….In 1657 the Abbess of Saint –Antoine won the right for the craftmen of the Faubourg to be free from the tutelage of the guild, and from then on they were able to give vent to their own inspiration and create works of art. New techniques were now used for decoration, including veneering, tortoiseshell and brass inlaying…..Throughout the 18th century the furniture of the Faubourg supplied all the courts and mansions of Europe …….. The French revolution of 1789 severely curtailed the growth of the special craft. While much has disappeared with the relentless gentrification of eastern Paris, you can often see remnants of its' former glory. This passage housed a very good and inexpensive cafe, Passage du Chantier was just a few feet from where I lived. It dates back to the Middle Ages and as you can see, still functions as the home of a furniture maker. Time for a break at the inviting and comfortable, Le 138,
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Post by sojoh on Nov 7, 2011 12:37:21 GMT
Jazz, I loved the photos and the descriptions of "your" courtyard and am glad that you had the opportunity to watch it as it "moved through many moods".
It's very helpful to know about the Passage du Chantier because I've been wondering where I should go to have an old chair repaired.
I just received volume number 1 of "Around and About Paris" by Thirza Vallois in the post today and look forward to reading it.
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Post by Don Cuevas on Nov 8, 2011 18:50:46 GMT
Beautiful. The epitome of civilization.
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Post by Jazz on Nov 9, 2011 20:46:49 GMT
A few final photos. This area was an extremely satisfying base. It had a strong neighborhood feel, was vital, everything essential was close by and it was perfect for easily accessing other parts of Paris. Most days I spent just the first couple of hours here, then would explore the Marais, Strasbourg Saint Denis, Montmartre, Canal Saint Martin etc. glorious etc..... Le Chat Bossu, 126 Faubourg Saint-Antoine, was my café of choice. The outside seats were on the side street that was only two blocks from the Marche Aligre, good and inexpensive café crème and, a most wonderful young waitress, Sophie. Her english was excellent and since she worked the 8AM-3PM shift, we had some great conversations. It was relaxing to speak English since most of my time was spent 'communicating' with my pathetic French. (People were extremely kind and always spoke French with me.) Sophie did not lead a dull life. In one of the weeks that I knew her she heard Bob Dylan at Bercy, had her birthday and got married! The beautiful Sophie, One of the hottest bar/restaurants in Paris of the moment was just next door to my apartment, Le Barrio Latino. It certainly wasn't 'budget' and attracted huge crowds, always. At night when returning home, I'd would have to veer out onto the street, since the happy drunken young people took over the sidewalk, having their smoke breaks, Square Trousseau was a pleasurable oasis, Real estate values are rising here. Bjd, you certainly have a feel for the market! Mon Cafe was another place that I liked. It is situated just as you go into l'hopital Saint Antoine. Historically, it was the powerful Abbey Saint Antoine des Champs. Much of the original abbey remains and I was always fascinated by the tiny porter's gatehouse, Loved the mural, [center ][/center] On my last night in Paris, I had dinner at Le Bistrot du Coin, 73 Avenue ledru-Rollin, just 2 blocks off rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine. Un coupe de champagne, Avocado and shrimp entree, the plat was breast of duck, honey and espelette chili mashed potatoes, a 25cl of bordeaux, profiteroles and un cafe. Superbe! The flower shop, just before the restaurant,
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 9, 2011 21:36:53 GMT
Your additions to this already wonderful thread are a delight. It's so lively and informative, plus your pictures glow with your affection for the subject matter. I can't help myself from singling out certain favorites -- the close up of the chair sign, which is a marvel of composition, subtle color, & light; the perfect, perfectly Impressionistic study of Square Trousseau, with the alternating dappled bands of dark and light; and the truly excellent picture of Mon Cafe with its tree, pedestrian turning to look toward the camera, & table of cronies. That one just has everything in terms of story telling, color, and especially composition. Kudos!
Sophie is indeed lovely, and how lovely that you met congenial, interesting people.
Shall we go halvies on the charming place with the triple réception? That would be a nice lil pied-à-terre, eh? ;D
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Post by fumobici on Nov 9, 2011 22:10:35 GMT
I've really enjoyed this report from Paris. Everyone's perspective is interesting. I particularly liked this photo:
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Post by nycgirl on Nov 10, 2011 2:11:04 GMT
What an enchanting courtyard you had! You are so lucky!
Sophie is very pretty, and she sounds like a fun girl to talk to.
I really enjoyed experiencing Paris through your eyes, and I liked the way you separated your photos into several threads. There is so much wonderful stuff to digest, so it's nice to the photos grouped by theme.
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Post by Jazz on Nov 15, 2018 3:05:44 GMT
My most beautiful Paris apartment and quartier.
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Post by patricklondon on Nov 15, 2018 5:50:50 GMT
This area is sort of, almost, a second home for me too, since I have done many home exchanges with someone who lives by the hospital, overlooking Rue de Citeaux. It's changed a bit over the last ten years or so: a few more hotels and vacation rentals, and so on, plus the usual churn of restaurants changing hands. My blog | My photos | My video clips | My Librivox recordings"too literate to be spam"
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Post by bjd on Nov 15, 2018 8:28:38 GMT
Nice to see this thread revived. It makes me miss the area -- we had an apartment at 154 (just around the corner of rue de Cîteaux) for 18 years but sold it a couple of years ago and I haven't been back to Paris much since then.
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