Discover Paris
Focus on the
9th arrondissement
The centrepiece of the 9th arrondissement is the magnificent Opera Garnier - a reminder of the glamorous "Gay Paris" nightlife that was once in this district, with theatres, restaurants, cafes, and dance halls, the better known ones being the Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergere.
Boulevard Haussmann is renowned for its department stores, the Printemps and the Galeries Lafayette. To the north is the red light area of the Moulin Rouge, Pigalle and its music shops in the rue Douai.
Trendy residential areas are growing around the Place St George and the rue des Martyrs, and avenue Trudaine has a lively market street and village atmosphere.
Properties
Opera offers many spacious luxury apartments although the noise factor can be a deterrent. Apartments around the Grands boulevards are more affordable but the area can seem lacking in community spirit.
Property prices around the Place St George, rue des Martyrs and avenue Trudaine are surprisingly high with spacious well maintained buildings and a mixture of 19th century, art deco and art nouveau architecture.
Spectacular things to do in the 9th Arrondissement
- Enjoy spectacular views of the city by taking a voyage in the hot air balloon at Parc André Citroën. Though pick a nice day for it, as it won’t be going up if it’s too windy.
- Visit one of the 'Grands magasins,' Printemps or Les Galeries Lafayette to observe the stunning view of Paris from the rooftops, and indulge in some serious retail therapy at two of the largest stores in Paris. There are more excellent shops along the Boulevard Hausmann and around Opera, including Lavinia, a veritable temple to wine, with knowledgeable and helpful staff and also wine tastings can be organized.
- The Palais Garnier, more commonly known as the Opera de Paris or Paris Opera, is one of the most stunning buildings in Paris, both inside and out. Designed by Baron Hausmann, it was the home of the Opera National from 1875 until 1989, and it’s well worth a visit even if there isn’t a performance.
- The Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra National de Paris is now the music department of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and is at 8 rue Scribe. It is open daily, but a small admission fee is charged. The museum, housed within the Palais Garnier itself, documents 300 years of the history of Parisian opera through paintings, drawings of scenery and costumes, and scale models.
- Discover a traditional Jewish neighborhood that has not become nearly as commercialized as the Marais. A visit to Rue du Faubourg-Montmartre and the surrounding area is a truly cultural activity for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Residents of the 9th know that Rue des Martyrs is the place to spend a Sunday (where the shops are still open!).
- Visiting the area with young kids? The Musée Grévin features more than 500 life sized wax figures from French culture and celebrities from around the world, including a magnificent panorama of French history from Charlemagne up to Napoleon III.
- The Paris Olympia is historically one of the most important concert venues in Paris; Edith Piaf gave a series of concerts there between 1955 and 1962, and in Jeff Buckley gave what he believes to be finest performance of his career there. Many of the biggest stars from France and beyond have performed there.
- The Passage du Havre is a fantastic place to get a bit of shopping done. A historic Parisian passage, it was recently remodeled and offers wares from many upscale designers and boutiques whilst retaining its historical merit. The passages are something of a forerunner to the ‘Shopping Centre, covered walkways lined with shops. Other famous ones are ‘passage Jouffroy’ and ‘passage Verdeau’.
- The former house of Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau has become a museum to his life and works. It can be found at 14 rue de la Rochefoucauld, is open every day except Tuesday, and entry is around €3, with some concessions offered. It contains paintings, watercolours, sculptures and drawings by the artist, and his apartment on the first floor has been preserved.
- The Musée de la Vie Romantique is one of three literary museums in Paris, and until the 26th July, it has an exhibition of 110 photographs by French photographer Marc Riboud, perhaps most famous for his work in the far East, and in particular Vietnam, and for the photograph Eiffel Tower Painter.
