Paris
Canal Saint-Martin - République
Introducing Canal Saint-Martin - République
Canal Saint-Martin is a dynamic neighbourhood made up of locals with genuine esprit. Wrought iron footbridges cross the quaint tree-lined waterway, with Quai de Valmy and Quai de Jemmapes on either side filled with buzzing cafés, vintage dancehalls and chic stores that trickle down from the side streets. A steady stream of cyclists and joggers weave their way along the canal, and on sunny afternoons crowds sprawl over the canal-side cobblestones.
Napoleon had the canal built in the early 19th century when Paris needed a fresh water supply after cholera epidemics hit the city, and later it was turned into a transport artery for barges and industrial shipping. Gentrification took hold about a decade ago, and now former warehouses have made way for artists’ studios and music venues. Some of the best cafés in Paris have opened here and La Ruche - a space for social entrepreneurs - is a local stalwart.
Café Chez Prune is a legend in Parisian pavement lore, the cavernous Comptoir Général just across from it on the canal serves up everything from yakitori to biryani on its food stalls and nearby music and art center Point Ephémère explores up-and-coming musical acts. When it comes to shopping, designer agnès b, who was one of the first to open shop in the area, is now joined by a host of French fashion favourites such as APC, Maje and Balibaris clustered in streets at the southern end of the canal.
It’s this spirited, savvy urban ethos combined with a relaxed pace of life that makes Canal Saint-Martin one of the most sought-after areas in Paris. It might not be on the most trodden of tourist trails, but that’s only because the Parisians want to keep it that way...
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Best known for
Hôtel du Nord
Made famous by the 1938 film of the same name, this canal-side pleasure palace has been taken over by a group of enthusiastic young restaurateurs serving revolutionary French food in a lovingly preserved, shabby-genteel setting.
Le Comptoir Général
Paris’ own ‘temple of ghetto culture’ features a tropical greenhouse and an eerie cabinet of curiosities – listen to Congolese music and try the incredible Franco-African brunch.
Amélie
In his cinematic ode to Paris, director Jean-Pierre Jeunet has Audrey Tautou wandering along the Canal Saint-Martin, skipping pebbles and admiring a statue of French theatre great, Frédérick Lemaître.
It’s this spirited, savvy urban ethos combined with a relaxed pace of life that makes the Canal Saint-Martin one of the most sought-after areas in Paris.
