English
One of my favorite things to do in Paris is walking around, looking up to the buildings and wondering about which one would be my dream apartment. Living in Paris is the dream of many people, but finding the right place is another matter. Each neighborhood has its own perks and drawbacks. Let a Parisian tell you what you need to know about real estate in Paris.
For the past 30 years, the price of real estate in Paris, as every other big city in the world, sky-rocketed. It is currently reaching an all time high. The average price for one meter square is 8 400 €, which makes it the second most expensive city in the European Union, right after London. But inside Paris, the prices are far from being even. They range on a scale from 6 000 € mt/sq to more than 15 000€ mt/sq.
There are many explanations to this gap. Of course the state of the site and its size matter, but the most impactful criterion is the location of the good areas inside Paris. There are the trendy places, classy places, and the less classy places.
Back in the 19th century, the rich and famous used to live as far away as possible from the factories and the smoke they emitted, which were located on the east of Paris. Those people built very nice buildings. Even with the disappearance of factories inside of Paris, the neighborhood to the west and the center are still more valuated than the one to the east. This is where you can find the most expensive but prettiest buildings of Paris, especially in the VIIth district.
However, I believe the XVIth or VIIth district are not the most pleasant to live in, because they tend to be very quiet and very empty after 10 pm.
Then the question of the trendy places is harder to solve because, as everybody knows, the trend in Paris can be somewhat unexpected. As examples of upcoming neighborhoods is the XIth district. 20 years ago, this place was filled with workers and immigrants. Nowadays, designer shops are opening at every corner and even some movies actors decided to settle here. What made it so trendy? Well, it used to be affordable, and still close to the center of Paris. It was also a place where one could experience the cultural diversity of France. The same goes for the XVIIIth or the XXth where more and more “bobos” have decided to move.
Then there is a last question that must be asked… Where do the workers and the people who can’t afford to pay 1000€ or more of rent live? They have to move out of Paris, and out to the suburbs. Even though the mayor is working on this question by building social housing inside Paris and by making plans for new towers, the middle classes are still forced to flee Paris, and go to the outskirts.
