On the way from Montmartre...

From the area situated between Montmartre and the more central parts of Paris I have made a few posts about things that I believe are worth visiting – but there is more to see. This area goes under the name of “Nouvelle Athènes” (points 1-7 on the map and on the list at the end).

If and when you have visited some of these places I could suggest that you continue on Rue du Faubourg Montmartre (in red on the map). This was the street people used to take on their more ore less direct way home after a long evening in Montmartre; direction the “Halles”, for a nice onion soup in the early morning. The “Halles” used to be the centre for all fresh food distribution in Paris, but were torn down during the sixties; the activities were displaced to the suburbs and instead something modern was constructed with shops, cinemas etc. (already to be remodelled).

You could then possibly make a break on the way at the candy shop on which I also made a post (p.8) or in the very different church, Sainte Eugène-Sainte Cécile (p.9), also one of my posts. Then you have the choice to have a meal or to go to the cinema, possibly both.

The Restaurant Chartier (p. 10) has been here since 1896. It’s actually what was called a “buillon”, which means soup or a “soup place” in French. This name was used for restaurants supposed to serve some cheap but good food to people who could not afford the more expensive places. Chartier is today always full, the service is efficient but a bit rough, the “garçons” are old style, the food is correct but not excellent, very traditional dishes, the prices are still relatively low and the dining room has an old and nice charm. Somehow, it’s a place you must have tried.

The cinema Rex was inaugurated in 1932. Unlike most other cinemas today, Rex has still a big theatre, supposed to be the biggest remaining in Europe with almost 3000 seats, but has now also three smaller theatres. There used to be an organ and some dancing ladies, something like New York’s Radio City Hall with the Rockettes, but the dancing ladies are gone. During World War II, Rex became a “Soldaten-Kino”. The big theatre is today also often used for concerts (coming next: Celtic Legends, Harry Connick Jr, Hilary Duff, The Dubliners…).

From here your “guide” will leave you for the weekend! You can take the direction of the “Halles”, the “Opéra”… or just ask for a taxi to your hotel.

Hope to see you Monday in good shape! Nice weekend!


Here is the list, with links to the previous posts:
1. Cité Malesherbes
2. Avenue Frochot (same link as 1.)
3. Cité Monthiers (same link as 1.)
4. Museum of the Romantics
5. Gustave Moreau Museum
6. Square d’Orléans
7. Place Saint Georges
8. Candy Shop
9. Sainte Eugène – Sainte Cécile Church
10. Restaurant Chartier
11. Cinema Rex

Some more from “Nouvelle Athène”

I will - at least temporarily - leave the area of Paris called the New Athens (the Museum of the Romantics, the Square d’Orléans, the Gustave Moreau Museum, Place Saint Georges…) by showing some last photos.

Just south of Place Pigalle, in the crossing of the streets Victor Massé and Frochot, you will find one rather astonishing building with a large stained glass front window. It was built for the 19th century composer Victor Massé. It was taken over by the boss of Folies Bergère who donated it to a servant, later murdered here. It stood then empty for decades and still seems to be. For a short while one of our local singing stars, Sylvie Vartan, lived here, but for some reason she quickly left: it seems to be haunted place.

Correction 29/8, 2 pm: I now learnt that the stained glass window in front of the building actually is part of a small theatre (Théatre en Rond), which now is closed. Just close to this house, you can (not) enter a private street, called Avenue Frochot, where Toulouse-Lautrec and Renoir (the painting father and the film making son) lived or worked. It seems that some of our today’s celebrities have their address here, which I believe is the reason the guard at the entrance did not want to let me in. The street looks very nice from what you can see behind the entrance gate.

Just round the corner, you will find another private street, Cité Malesherbes, where the guard let me in. Here you can find some nice buildings, including the very beautifully decorated number 11 (top picture). The French Socialist Party occupied for a long time number 12. Today the building is used by a socialist foundation (Fondation Jean Jaurès). It seems that another of our local singing stars, Johnny Hallyday, for a while married to the above mentioned Sylvie Vartan, was born in this street.In another small side street (Cité Monthiers; you enter from rue de Clichy) you will find a small but beautiful theatre, Théatre de l’Oeuvre (there are many other theatres around). I took also some pictures here and there, including the statue (with a pigeon on the top) of Hector Berlioz. All the small side streets and backyards are not that fashionable, but they have often a lot of charm... and soon they will be transformed into something fashionable and expensive.

If you wish to see the original photos, please go to my other blog - "Peter - photos".

I have still serious network problems, so please excuse me if I'm not a good visitor of your blogs at the moment.