Luncheon on the Canal
Neighborhood Guide: Canal St. Martin + Environs
The Canal St. Martin was ordered to be built by Napoleon I to provide much needed fresh water. It had many repairs and updates over the years but in the past decade the area has been going through a revival. In the summer and early fall the atmosphere is heightened by the weather, the crowds and the cafe vibe.
My neighborhood Story
The charm of this neighborhood begins with its roots in working class Paris that have brought together many cultures and traditions over the years. I first discovered the neighborhood when I visiting our adopted French family who lived on the ‘Quai de Jemmapes’ in a top floor apartment overlooking the canal. This canal was a busy neighborhood in the past but went undiscovered for years. I returned in 2018 to a charming studio rental in the same block. The memories came flooding back. I first visited the neighborhood in the 1970s with my family. Later we held a celebration for my dad in 2008 (he had passed away in 2007) right there in the apartment where we had spent so many happy Sundays. I entertain myself on occasion with the thought that dad (and our friends) are having their lively discussions on philosophy, the writings of George Sands or French current events together over a cocktail (as they did many years ago) all in the cafe in the great beyond. The apartment is still there but probably now been turned into four apt units instead of the grand single apartment it once was. Looking up at number I could see the grand balcony running across from one end of the building to another still luxurious, today.
What to see in the neighborhood
What is fresh and charming about this neighborhood is many restaurants and cafes have begun to crop up. There is a nice market just down the street from the Saint Louis Hospital and the hipster crowd (world’s away from their predecessors) have now taken over. During fashion week I photographed the street styles that were in abundance there, too.
Here the unique creation by Pablo Picasso shares his genius in just a few strokes.