The Secret Cité’s of the 19th Arrondissement

It’s great fun to walk among the heights of Belleville and get lost in its picturesque streets.  Here are three old working-class neighborhoods, charming and unknown, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris.

Cité Saint-Chaumont

Located between Boulevard de la Villette and Avenue Simon Bolivar, this peaceful cité was opened in 1840: its name refers to the nearby Buttes-Chaumont (which was formerly called Buttes Saint-Chaumont). The Folies Bergères decor warehouse that used to be here has been replaced by a set of public housing buildings, but there are still old craftsmen’s workshops and charming little country-style houses!

Cité du Palais-Royal de Belleville

Linking rue des Solitaires to rue de Belleville, this private alley looks like a village with its houses decorated with awnings, stone walls and climbing plants. To this day, its name remains a mystery: the warehouse of the decorations of the Palais-Royal theater at the time of Louis XV could have been installed there (but the two places are really very far apart), or it could be in reference to an old “Rustic” house nicknamed the Palais-Royal in the 19th century. No one seems to know.

Cité Jandelle

This colorful alleyway which starts from rue Rébeval was created in 1846: it bears the name of Edouard Jandelle-Ramier, owner and architect of the beautiful house at number 12 – located at the very end of the alley – adorned with a sign from the end from the 19th century and which features a sculpted woman’s head on the 2nd floor. After him, several artists and designers settled here, no doubt attracted by the unique atmosphere and the calm of the place.

https://vivreparis.fr