Paris main visit page 2

Introduction to the quartier chic

House Clemenceau Musee du Vin Musee Balzac

Passy, Auteuil, Guimard,Castel Beranger

An architecural walk out of this time

Sewer museum Modern Art museum Musee  Homme Musee de la Marine

Musee du Cinema-Musee Marmottan

Musee Guimet
(new)

Musee Dapper

Bois de Boulogne part 1

Bois de Boulogne part 2

La Defense

Paris-16th arr-Introduction to the quartier "Chic" 

The 16th arrondissement is the Chelsea of the French capital, wealthy and serious. Very wealthy even! It is formed by the so-called “beaux-quartiers”, where the left winged political parties hardly obtain 5% at the elections.
In 1981, when the socialist François Mitterand was finally elected after a quarter of a century in the opposition, the whole city, from the place de la Bastille to the Champs-Elysees, was one and only horn blowing and celebrating mob. But the 16th arrondissement kept quiet. It was dark and sad. Like a mourning day. The inhabitants where shocked and off balance.
For amateurs of architecture, there is a lot to see (Guimard, Le Corbusier, Mallet-Stevens) and the esplanade du Trocadero puts you eye in eye with the Eiffel tower and the opposite shore of the Seine.
The 16th has its own shopping streets, like the avenue Victor Hugo (metro Victor Hugo), rue de Passy, rue de l’Annonciation (metro la Muette) and the rue d’Auteuil (metro Michel-Ange Auteuil). And there is the cutest small theatre of Paris (Le Ranelagh) in the rue des Vignes where Gabriel Faure wrote his  “Requiem”. The neighbouring bois de Boulogne provides the necessary oxygen and all possibilities for paying sex and love….
During the 19th century, even if the old aristocracy who lived here already for a long time looked with despise on the “nouveaux riches”, they were very proud of their quarter. To have a little idea of who lived here in past century go and visit the historical cemetery of Passy where you will find the graves of Giraudoux, Manet, Faure, Debussy, Fernandel, Carnot, Jean Patou, Berthe Morisot, Talleyrand, Guerlain, Marnier( yes, the famous liquor!), the Cognaq-Jay couple, founders of the Samaritaine and many others.
After all, this arrondissement had a certain image of nobility.  Tourists visiting the 16th for the first time could find the area a bit dull but strolling along the great properties, parcelled out and divided in " villas" during the 19th century can be extraordinary. A" villa", groups in fact a whole village, with beautiful alleys, green squares, magnificent homes. Impressive facades, luxurious boutiques and trendy restaurants, certainly in the northern part of the arrondissement, to “be seen “ are the motto. People dres  “BCBG” (Bon Chic Bon Genre). President Giscard d’Estaing, the stock exchange kings Kostolany and the champagne tycoon Paul François Vrancken lived here. Streets are always deserted and distillate a cosy village atmosphere. 

Bibliography

--Vie et histoire des arrondissements de Paris, ed.Hervas (1985-1988--Nouvelle Histoire de Paris, ed.Hachette--Le Pieton de Paris, by L.P.Fargue, ed.Gallimard 199 --Dictionnaire historique des rues de Paris, by J.Hillairet, ed.Minuit --Guide du Routard 1998-1999 (Ed.Hachette)--Paris, 2000 d'histoire, by J.Favier, ed.Fayard 1997—Paris en quartiers : le Nord, by J.Lacouterie (ed.Hervas 185)—Le 16eme, Passy, Auteuil et ses anecdotes, by B.Beyern (own folders)