Boulogne remains a reference among the various suburbs of Hauts-de-Seine: touching the south west of Paris, bordered by the Seine and adjoining the Bois de Boulogne, this pretty town has many advantages for the inhabitants of the Paris region. Less expensive than Neuilly and not as posh as the 16th arrondissement, it offers a pleasant and secure living environment for families looking for greenery and village life despite relative accessibility.
Some figures :
Average annual income : €44,100
Population density : 15,980 inhabitants/m2
Nurseries, Schools and High Schools : 16.8 per inhabitant
Shops : 5.6 every 100m
Doctors : 1/800 inhabitants
Average price/m2 : €7,320 (4th quarter 2016) + 6.5% (2016 annual change)
Parchamp/Albert Kahn and Prince/Marmottan
Location :
You’re in the historic district of Boulogne-Billancourt, to the north of the current limits of this city. To the south-west of the Bois de Boulogne: the Menus-Jean-Baptiste Clément area follows the Quais du 4Septembre to Pont de St Cloud. To the east, the area of Château-Marmottan runs along Route de la Reine to Paris, bounded by Boulevard Jean-Jaurès.
Atmosphere :
The busiest area is between Avenue Jean Jaurès and Avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément. And there are plenty of cultural places to visit and walks to try at Edmond de Rothschild Park and the Albert Kahn Garden Museum. For shopping, head for the Escudier market, which is open three mornings a week! This town has a little “provincial” side, which many Boulonnais people cannot do without!
Practical life :
In terms of practical life, it’s a perfect location with the proximity of AmbroiseParé Hospital, private schools and sports complexes such as Stade Jean Bouin and the Parc des Princes! This corner of Boulogne is also essentially residential, so it’s very quiet, surrounded by the Seine’s maritime flow and the greenery of Edmond de Rothschild Park or Serresd’Auteuil.
School life :
On the edge of the 16th arrondissement, there’s the excellent Dupanloup private school and college, and opposite you’ll find Notre Dame de Boulogne School and Collège St-Joseph du Parchamp. Further down in front of the Renault Museum, there’s also the Albert Bezançon Nursery School, Petite Ecole Montessori and the Open Sky International School. There’s a broad and eclectic choice for all families!
Transport :
On the edge of the A13 and the ring road, you can easily benefit from the PC buses, or get off at the metro stations of Porte de St Cloud, Pont de St Cloud or Boulogne/Jean Jaurès! It’s also a sector that’s well served by RATP buses.
Property :
Between Avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément, the busiest area in the neighbourhood, and Avenue Jean-Jaurès, you’ll find century-old and opulent buildings where many families live. It is on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne that you’ll find the most Haussmannian and bourgeois buildings. That’s why this is the most expensive area of Boulogne.
Silly/Galliéni and Centre-ville
Location :
Between Route de la Reine to the north and Avenue du Général Leclerc to the south, this vast area of the city opens its doors to you! This area of the Town Hall is very popular with Boulogne’s trendy families!
Atmosphere :
At Place Marcel Sembat and Avenue Edouard Vaillant, the centre of Boulogne is busy during the day and quieter at night. It is family-oriented, cheerful and one of the corners of Boulogne where it’s good to live!
Practical life :
The whole Silly-Gallieni area is well-served in terms of transport and shops. Around the Town Hall, there are lots of shops and cultural and sporting facilities: a cinema, museum, swimming pool and ice rink. At Pont de Sèvres, locals enjoy the Billancourt market on Wednesdays, Saturday mornings and public holidays!
School life :
Unfortunately this isn’t one of the best areas for choices of schools. You’ll still be able to send your children to school at Jardind’enfants Montessori, Collège Bartholdi or Lycée Jacques Prévert! However, Stade Le Gallo, the Boulogne-Billancourt Tennis Club and the Paul Bert Gymnasium are in this area!
Transport :
Offset from Paris, the metro will take you to Châtelet in 40 minutes. Not bad, is it? Otherwise, you can be there by car in 20 minutes (with a bit of luck!). Interestingly enough, other destinations such as Versailles (35 minutes by RER) or Nanterre (45 minutes by metro) are also 15 minutes’ drive from the centre of Boulogne-Billancourt!
Property :
The area of Silly-Gallieni has lots of old working-class detached houses and larger, more modern buildings that form a pleasant residential district. The mainly residential north-east part of Route de la Reine is currently being modernised, with private and secure housing. The prices have been increasing for a few years now, but there are still some bargains to be found!
Billancourt and République/Point du Jour
Location :
A former working-class district, the South of Boulogne is undergoing a profound architectural redevelopment. A huge 74-hectare real estate, commercial and cultural project is underway there. It is a mixed area, with corporate offices and luxury housing.
Atmosphere :
With île Seguin just opposite, this is the place to be! The former Renault plants are being restructured to make way for 150,000 m2 of campuses by 2021. Not to mention the new, must-see cultural complexes of La Seine Musicale and the île Seguin Garden! And 30% of the head offices of companies in Hauts-de-Seine have their offices here (especially advertising, audiovisual and telecommunications companies such as Canal Plus, TF1, etc.).
Practical life :
It’s a perfect neighbourhood for employees of these big companies! It’s still not ideal if you’re looking to settle down with your family and because of the lack of transport, life in the district isn’t very practical, unless you’re a fan of online shopping!
School life :
Similarly, this area doesn’t yet offer many solutions for schooling children of all ages. Apart from the Robert Doisneau or Thiers elementary schools, the Jean Guillon public nursery school, Ecole Ferdinand Buisson and Collège Jean Renoir, the choice is quite limited!
Transport :
Overall, Boulogne-Billancourt has 26 bus lines throughout the city. However, it’s a shame that this corner of Boulogne-Billancourt is currently very poorly served by its two metro lines. You can always count on the RATP’s Velib’ and Autolib’ networks!
Property :
The district between Avenue du Général Leclerc and Boulevard Jean-Jaurès is currently a good investment. Close to Porte de St Cloud, prices remain affordable compared to the quality of life available in this very quiet area.