With its opulent buildings and discreet villas, the 17th arrondissement looks a bit like the 16th arrondissement, but without the greenery. Separated by Avenue de la Grande-Armée, running along Boulevard de Courcelles and Boulevard Batignolles, going down to Avenue de Clichy alongside the towns of Neuilly and Clichy, this district of Paris is actually divided in two. This very noticeable split is delimited in particular by the railway line of Gare Saint-Lazare. The “chic side” of Ternes-Maillot and Wagram-Monceau can be found to the south, while to the north, there’s the district of Legendre-Levis and Batignolles-Epinettes, a district “in the making”, with the arrival of the new Palace of Justice scheduled for late 2017!
Some figures :
Average annual income : €35,100
Population density : 28,780 inhabitants/m2
Nurseries, Schools and High Schools : 27.6 per inhabitant
Shops : 16.4 every 100m
Doctors : 700/inhabitant
Average price/m2 : €8,930 (4th quarter 2016) + 8.5% (2016 annual change)
MAILLOT- TERNES
Location :
As its name suggests, this area starts at Porte Maillot, which will soon be home to the new RER station. But be warned, this area is visited by thousands of users and commuters every day. If you go up Avenue de la Grande-Armée, you come out at Place Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile, then you go back down via Avenue Mac-Mahon and Avenue Niel to Place Pereire. Some very pleasant residential streets are tucked away either side of Avenue des Ternes and its dynamic night and day life!
Atmosphere :
The endless stream of cars that “commute” through Porte Maillot to get to the centre of Paris give the district a busy atmosphere. But not far from this essential artery for the people of Paris, a charming neighbourhood life can be found around Place Saint Ferdinand, Place des Ternes, Place de Poncelet, etc. I’d be lying to you if I said that there are “lots” of families, but there are plenty of young people, many couples and young parents, grandparents and a real neighbourhood life.
Practical life :
We can’t recommend Ternes market (Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday morning) highly enough if you’re looking for mature cheese or a rib of beef for Sunday dinner. You’ll find it behind the FNAC, on Rue Poncelet with its adorable stalls and food shops. Further down, Rue Bayen and its Jean-Baptiste Dumas market is also very popular with locals. If it rains, you can always go to the Berthier covered market at Porte de Champerret!
School life :
The 17th arrondissement is not lacking in structures for children (crèches and nurseries), such as, for example “La Souris Verte”. However apart from Collège Pierre de Ronsard, the schools do not enjoy the reputation of those of the 16th arrondissement. In recent times, many families have settled in this easily accessible district that is not far from “good schools” to allow their “older” children to continue with their education.
Transport :
As explained, this area has been, is, and will be very well served by the new RER, as well as by metro lines 1, 2 and 6, not to mention the many buses, including the 22 and 52, that will take you directly to the department stores! But if you like cycling, be super careful when you’re riding in the flow of all the cars!
Property :
Prices are slightly lower than in the 16th arrondissement, especially for larger living areas. Bargains can be found if you look to the other side of Avenue Pereire, Gouvion St Cyr or Pershing, but then you would be moving away from pleasant “village” feel of the 17th arrondissement.
WAGRAM-MONCEAU
Location :
In this chic part of the 17th arrondissement, we see the Haussmannian atmosphere of the main arteries starting from the Etoile. The place to be? Near ParcMonceau, of course, where the buildings compete to be the most beautiful, where the green park comes alive each day with its joggers and with the chic bicycles and scooters of the neighbourhood at weekends. Just behind the park, some quiet streets like Rue Prony or Rue Fortuny offer pretty mansions that are home to many law offices, as well as to many “Duquesnoy” families! Life on the edge of this beautiful green area is very pleasant. The nearby shops and wide streets make everyday life easier with pushchairs and tricycles much easier!
Atmosphere :
With many offices and other institutions, this district may seem a bit sad during the day. Don’t be fooled! The streets are cheerful, there are a lot of passers-by and traffic and there’s a mixture of people! The wide pavements host beautiful sunny terraces where men in suits and pretty businesswomen hurry around. Further down, you’ll see lots of nannies with shopping trolleys, little kids, snacks and school bags. It’s actually quieter in the evenings!
Practical life :
Rue de Courcelles is a must! This is where you’ll go to check out the latest trends in the typical Parisian boutiques, have your hair done or choose presents for your children’s birthdays. The district isn’t lacking in small local traders, but it’s better to head for the Bayen or Poncelet markets!
School life :
The district is renowned for having excellent public schools, including Collège Carnot and Lycée Carnot, which are ideally located at the Malesherbes corner of Avenue de Villiers. For those who prefer private institutions, you can’t ignore the Ecole Active Bilingue, a school attended by the children of Parisian celebrities. The Town Hall runs lots of crèches and nurseries for younger children, but beware: the number of places is limited!
Transport :
The 17th arrondissement is very well placed for joining the ring road and escaping the Parisian traffic jams. On the downside, you can sometimes have to walk several hundred metres before you get to the nearest metro station. You should try and use one of the many buses that allow you to gaze in wonder at the beautiful wide avenues.
Property :
Who doesn’t dream of owning a private mansion at the foot of ParcMonceau, close to the Etoile? You can always fall back on a magnificent reception apartment with view over one of the beautiful avenues in the neighbourhood. Unless you choose one of the “Noodle” or Art Deco buildings that you’ll see here and there if you walk through the neighbourhood.
LEGENDRE-LEVIS (BATIGNOLLES-EPINETTES)
Location :
To put it simply, the Legendre-Levis neighbourhood is everything above Boulevard des Batignolles and below Avenue de Clichy! As for Batignolles-Epinettes, you go up Avenue de Clichy and Boulevard Bessières until Porte de St Ouen. To put it simply, Legendre-Levis is the district that goes up, up, up! Long neglected by families, this corner of Paris has become trendy, boho-chic and modern. As for the “village” of Batignolles and the Epinettes district with its new Martin Luther King Park, they are rarely frequented by expats. So we won’t bother telling you much about it, as this area is still quite insalubrious.
Atmosphere :
With the ongoing restructuring due to the imminent arrival of the TGI, many young couples with children have now settled in the northern part of the 17th arrondissement. It’s a bit like a new 9th arrondissement! The population is very diverse and is happy mix of older people who aren’t necessarily rich, young workers and young people who aren’t necessarily well-educated, but who are friendly a new to the area!
Practical life :
Get ready to go shopping! Rue Legendre has lots of small bistrots and good restaurants if you like meat! But that’s without counting the Batignolles organic market, which gives you the chance to stock up on the best products from French and foreign agriculture. All Paris comes here for its trendy new eco-organic products!
School life :
The main advantage of living in this area is being close to Lycée Carnot. In the public-private war Lycée Carnot stands out as one of the best Parisian high schools, so take advantage of the school map and get your children enrolled! Otherwise, LycéeHonoré de Balzac, on the periphery of Porte de Clichy, will be delighted to welcome your little troublemakers!
Transport :
The Roissy Bus goes through the neighbourhood and will take you directly to the airport if you’ve lots of trips planned. Otherwise, Gare Saint-Lazare will allow you to get away to visit beautiful destinations at the weekends. There are also metro lines 2, 3 and 13 and buses for those who don’t like to go on holiday!
Property :
The district is currently experiencing a real property boom. If you’re looking for something modern, you can take advantage of the new housing built by the City of Paris and by recognised real estate developers. If you’re looking for that rare gem, you might also find it by going for older buildings or rolling up your sleeves to carry out your works. It’s also quite easy to find small living areas to accommodate students, or why not try AirBnB once the district has been fully renovated?