The 1st arrondissement, in the heart of Paris, is a lively tourist area with some of Paris’ most well known landmarks: Palais du Louvre, Tuileries gardens, Palais Royale, Sainte Chapelle, Place Vendome, the old market place Les Halles and the beautiful St Eustache Church.
It is essentially a daytime area for businesses together with many high street fashion boutiques on the rue de Rivoli and Forum des Halles. Haute couture designers such as Yves St-Laurent and Christian Dior can be found on rue Saint-Honore. In the evenings it is animated with a mixture of bars and restaurants catering for all tastes.
Properties here only trickle onto the market, and prices can be extremely high. The area is mostly associated with smaller studios and 2 or 3 roomed apartments that are much sought-after due to their central location and excellent transport. Larger apartments can be found in areas such as rue de Rivoli and around Sainte Honore.
Properties around Les Halles should be avoided for the next five years or so due to imminent renovation of the mall, which is expected to last 10 years, although prices are forecast to rise significantly upon completion of the project.
