Marx Dormoy
Marx Dormoy, the real Paris of the people. If you are interested in this district, take a look at our list of studios and furnished apartments to rent in the area. More than any other, the Marx Dormoy district oozes Parisian identity. The authenticity of an unsung Paris This district in the north of Paris, near Porte de la Chapelle, bears the name of the Popular Front's socialist Minister of the Interior, recognized for his fight against fascism and his refusal to grant full powers to Pétain. It is a very working class, typically Parisian area built on the site of the former village of Chapelle Saint-Denis, between the Belleville and Montmartre hills. The village was located on the road between the city center and the Abbaye Saint-Denis. The village changed very little until the Industrial Revolution, hence its working class character. Today, the railroads separate this part of the 18th arrondissement from the excitement of Montmartre. However, even here the Haussmann-style buildings remind you that you are still in Paris. A historically poor neighborhood, Marx Dormoy has retained this character even though gentrification tends to be felt in some parts. Things to do around Marx Dormoy The heart of the district since the 6th century, the former Chapelle Sainte Geneviève became the Eglise Saint-Denys de la Chapelle in the 12th century, hence its primitive Gothic style. Adjoining the small church, the Basilique Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc reminds us that the French heroine visited here in 1429. Georges Closson's monument sprung up in 1964 after more than 30 years of work. It is in a neo-roman style adopted as a reminder of the walls that the female warrior had to face. The stained glass and statues are worth a look inside. Last but not least, another key site in the neighborhood is the Jardins d'École, an urban ecological park with a surface area of 10 acres. Transportation and shopping The district is served by metro line 12 from the Marx Dormoy and Porte de la Chapelle stations. Stalingrad station also has access to lines 2, 5, and 7. There are a large number of stores on Rue de la Chapelle, with quite a few reasonably priced bakeries, butcher shops, convenience stores, and restaurants in the surrounding area.