Le Viaduc des Arts and the Promenade Plantée

Today's City Walk had us going over to the Viaduc des Arts, a former train trestle that was repurposed into art boutiques.  We started at the Bastille metro stop.  The Place de la Bastille is the site of a former prison that was stormed in July 1789.  The prison building was demolished later that same year, and the area was cleared into a large square.   The July Column stands proudly in the center of the square, a monument to celebrate a later revolution in July 1830 that overthrew one monarch (Charles X) for another (Louis-Phillipe I).  Seems like all the revolutions here used to happen in July!  I guess that's when the French people get restless...nowadays they just go on vacation.

Across the square is the Opéra Bastille, the modern home of the National Opera.  With its superior acoustics and 2700 unrestricted-view seats, this building replaced the Palais Garnier as the primary opera house in Paris in 1989.

The Viaduc des Arts begins just behind the opera building, on Avenue Daumesnil.  In the 1980's the city decided to reuse an old train viaduct rather than tear it down.  The plans included gallery space in the archways below, and a planted walkway along the surface of the old tracks.

The first half of our walk kept us at ground level so we could see the art galleries and boutiques.  It's an interesting concept, but most of the shops aren't really selling anything I would want.

What are these?  Feathery lamps?  Hats?  Who knows?

But I guess if I am ever in the market for a restored cello or violin, I know where to go.

Much more interesting was the rooftop of the building across the street.  My my, what is going on here?  Is it a dancehall for an all-male revue?  An underarm deodorant factory?  You'd be surprised -- it's actually the Police Station for the 12th Arrondissement of Paris.

The balcony separators are copies of Michaelangelo's Dying Slave.

We did not walk the entire length of the Viaduc des Arts (overall the Promenade Plantée extends 3 miles -- all the way to the Bois de Vincennes).  At the Rue de Rambouillet, we looked for the staircase so that we could turn around and go back along the Promenade level.  Oh, there it is -- it might be easy to miss if you didn't know what you were looking for!

Here is a view that allows you to see the planted path and the shops in the arches beneath.

We were impressed by the trees and greenery, and we saw plenty of people out for a stroll or a jog.  Of course I don't want to romanticize too much -- there was also lots of grafitti and the occasional transient sleeping on a bench.  But for the most part it was a very pleasant stroll back along the elevated walkway.

Along the way, you get to see some fairly nice apartment buildings.

Although I'm not sure I would want the end unit in this building.

We came down the stairs back where we started and wandered over to the open-air market on the Boulevard Richard Lenoir.

All kinds of great stuff was for sale, not just produce.

Although we did end up having some fantastic crêpes from this food stall.