Le Marais, the beating heart of Paris

The heart of Paris beats in Le Marais. Caroline Baudry, director of BARNES Le Marais, has amassed a soft spot for this historic district in the center of Paris for over than 15 years. Completely under its spell, she has worked there for 6 years. She loves to share the unique ambiance of the 3rd and 4th arrondissement with foreign investors or potential residents. She tells why Le Marais is so hard to resist.

Live in history on a daily basis

Le Marais is not only a dazzling beauty. On one hand, the neighborhood possesses a special atmosphere from its past and historical heritage; on the other, its artsy ambiance is completely anchored in the present, with modern art galleries. Each building has its own story, making the lively neighborhood a trendy place to live. Its streets are full of surprises and hidden treasures: sumptuous gardens, cours d’honneur, ateliers, and grandiose staircases.

Le Marais is very popular with an affluent international clientele with the desire to be in the cultural center of Paris, to experience the French history firsthand through old buildings, alleys, and majestic mansions. Some are looking for exceptional properties on the Île Saint-Louis,Île de la Cité, or the famous Place des Vosges, overlooking the garden of Louis XIII. Others want to live discreetly in a classified historic building and enjoy a rose garden in the middle of the city.

Caroline Baudry tells us that prices are rising in Le Marais, as result of the demand being much higher than supply. Prestigious properties with an elevator, surface areas over 120 m2 and more than 3 bedrooms are highly sought-after by families.

These types of properties are known to cause flash sales. It’s common for apartments in Le Marais to last 15 days on the market, sometimes even less. For example, Caroline recounts a sale that was made in 24 hours, and it wasn’t an isolated case, she says. It’s crucial to be very responsive.

A rarity in the Paris property market, these gems can reach are around 25,000 to 35,000 euros. Like this beautiful apartment on the Quai aux Fleurs, offering sublime double exposure and stunning views of the Notre Dame and Seine. It’s the quintessential Paris setting.

Le Marais and its residents

Le Marais is its own little world, and its residents are proud to call the neighborhood home. Le Marais is not only famous not only for the royal Place des Vosges and Rue de Turennes, but also for its oldest market just 2 steps from the Rue de Bretagne in the Enfants Rouges neighborhood. The areas of Saint Gervais and Sainte Avoye are also very popular. Catherine Baudry also let us in on a newer trend: Arts et Métiers district is transforming more and more each day into an in-demand hotspot.

Le Marais is rich with pieds à terres attracting foreigners who are passionate about history, charmed tourists, and Parisians who can’t get enough of their heritage. Le Marais is full of good vibes and good humor. Those who live in the heart of Paris, who grew up in the neighborhood, often remain loyal and decide to settle in there with their own children. There are a number of excellent schools in the array, attracting new families in search of a high level of education and a pleasant, culturally rich environment. Le Marais is a lively neighborhood that manages to maintain a welcoming artistic, and chic ambiance without being pretentious. You’ll never find yourself at a loss of things to do. Almost everything is open on Sundays (which is not common in the capital city). Even Caroline has decided to open the BARNES Le Marais agency on Sunday afternoons to assists clients that have more time to discuss their real estate project on the weekends. Besides, you never know when your coup de coeur will hit the market.

Le Marais is always open to new horizons. Large luxury brands set up prized boutiques, as conceptual culinary restaurants multiply in the neighborhood to the excitement of both residents and visitors.

We asked Caroline Baudry to define her favorite neighborhood is one word. Without a shred of hesitation, she replied, 'cultural,' and followed with, 'The BARNES teams do not sell prestigious apartments or residences, they sell a story. Each residence has a history to be told, it is fascinating and motivating. Le Marais leads you to discovery after discovery, it's exciting.”

We can only agree, Le Marais is the soul of Paris.

Photo Credit: dany13