Top Paris Real Estate Locations IV

Saint Louis Island by KHS, Paris http://www.khs.fr/ Until the early 17 th century the romantic "Saint Louis" consisted of two separate islands, "Ile de Notre Dame " and "Ile aux vaches" which was named after the cows which grazed on it. Both belonged to the Catholic Church.

The entrepreneur Christophe Marie unified the two islands in 1614 by surrounding them with a sturdy flood-protective wall and building two bridges toward the northern and southern riverbanks. He then started to construct the interior of the island following the existing street pattern.

Le Regrattier and Poulletier, after whom streets on the island are named, were associated with financiers. In 1635 the bridge was completed through Marie and it still carries his name. It connected the island with the "Marais" district and was at that time lined with houses. Construction of "Saint Louis 's" interior began in 1618 and, at the outset, only houses for artisans and ordinary people were built. Later on, when the lawsuit with the church ended, aristocrats erected extraordinarily magnificent palaces, the so-called "hôtels particuliers"; many of them can be seen along the quays.

Some of France 's most renowned 17 th century architects also left their marks. Among them Louis le Vau who conceived the prestigious "Institut de France" with its magnificent dome, in addition to elegant parts of the Louvre palace and Versailles castle. On the northern bank at No. 17, quai d'Anjou he devised the extraordinarily noble "Hôtel Lauzan" with its iron wrought balcony . During the 19 th century Théophile Gauthier lived here and frequently received Baudelaire and other numerous artists as guests. Countless plaques attached on the handsome buildings along the riverbanks reveal who resided on St Louis Island .

Marie Curie who discovered radium, and the human rights activist René Cassin, both Nobel prize winners, lived on the southern bank in "No. 36, quai de Bethunes". Charles Baudelaire settled in the sumptuous "Hôtel Lefebvre de la Malmaison" at No. 22 on the same quay, and former French president Georges Pompidou stayed in No. 24. Also Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is supposed to have visited the island when he was in Paris (1763/64). However, the appeal of " Saint Louis " is more than just celebrity. Despite vast tourist streams, the island maintains its charm and offers a residential infrastructure with countless shops and restaurants (photo 5). Many properties on the little side streets are particularly cute and more decently priced than some top floor apartments on the quays that offer sweeping views and are among the most exquisite and expensive real estate locations in the city.

Obviously, the aristocratic "hôtels particuliers" are of particular note. Once erected by noblemen, they withstood all the ups and downs of the ages and many of them are now regarded as prestigious monuments and unique witnesses of French history. Impressive porches enhanced with filigree stone carvings, thick walls and high ceilings characterize this wonderful architecture, and it is rare that apartments are up for sale. Wandering along the quays all the magnificent architectural diversity of the island can be admired and without any doubt " Saint Louis " is one of my favourite locations.

When I started my business in the early 1990's, I sold one of my very first apartments here. It was a particularly cute "deux-pièces" with wooden beams and rustic stone tiles on the floor. It has been tastefully furnished by the owner and I still rent it out for her. I truly enjoy having a large number of extraordinarily handsome rental apartments on the island, some of which are occasionally for sale. Find more info here: KHS Paris Real Estate Blog: http://www.khs.fr/Blog.cfm