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In eastern Paris, the 11ᵉ arrondissement of Paris is the place for all kinds of encounters. Dense and colorful, the district can be discovered day or night. While night owls flock to its bar counters and aesthetes of taste revel in its fine restaurants, the 11ᵉ arrondissement is also a cultural district, with its multitude of theaters, its Atelier des Lumières and its entertainment for young and old Parisians alike.
Its mayor, François Vauglin, lent himself to the game and becomes, for the time of an interview with Sortir à Paris, a guide for our readers. He takes you on a tour of his 11ᵉ arrondissement, from defendinglocal craftsmanship to highlighting its rich community life. Affable, he also shares his (many) good addresses, reveals the well-hidden secrets in the district's flower-filled courtyards and narrow passages, as well as the projects that will shape the 11ᵉ arrondissement of tomorrow.
I'm François Vauglin, mayor of the 11ᵉ arrondissement of Paris since 2014 - so this is my second term. Like a majority of Parisians, I was not born in Paris, I am originally from the Jura region and I like to return to the Haut-Jura forest to recharge my batteries.
I'm a fairly classical person, so I like to go to the opera and the Philharmonie de Paris, which has an eclectic program, not just classical. I also like to discover the more cutting-edge stuff that's on offer in my arrondissement: we're lucky enough to have over 70 cultural venues in just over 3.5km². With such a high density, many of these venues are 30m² with seating for 20, making performances intimate and creating a unique bond with the artists. Among the emblematic venues, I'm thinking of the Théâtre de la Bastille, the Maison des Métallos, as well as a place I'm particularly fond of: the Ménagerie de Verre, a dance venue created in 1983 by Marie-Thérèse Allier. Every spring, they organize a contemporary dance festival, Les Inaccoutumés, with some incredible artists.
La Maison des Métallos
The must-see event every year at the end of May is Onze Bouge, Paris's biggest street arts festival, which has been running for 25 years. It's an entirely free event that takes place in the public space - on sports fields, in the street, on the town hall forecourt. We also organize other festivals focusing on crafts, ceramics, photography and even gastronomy, with a festival of culinary photography organized a few years ago.
Every September, residents can also enjoy an exhibition by thevisual artists' association Le Génie de la Bastille, one year in the gardens (le Génie des jardins), the next in the public space (le Génie en liberté); mind-blowing! And don't forget the open house at the Ménilmontant workshops, straddling the 11ᵉ and 20ᵉ arrondissements. Finally, all year round, with a special program in summer, cycles of concerts and cultural conferences are held at the town hall, including lunchtime concerts by conservatory students. And it's all free!
11th arrondissement town hall
The 11ᵉ is the densest arrondissement in Paris and one of the most festive, but it's also the most creative and the one that has managed to retain a real link with craftsmanship. This artisanal dimension has existed in the district for several centuries, and we are committed to preserving this DNA.
Among the places to discover is the Cour de l'Industrie, also known as Le 37bis (located at 37 bis rue de Montreuil), a series of three industrial courtyards housing 55 artisan workshops - a cutler, an upholsterer, a wigmaker who works for cinema and theater, a cabinetmaker... Extraordinary things happen here: just step inside and you'll be able to talk to a craftsman working in the courtyard - it's great.
La Cour de l'Industrie
It's certainly a source of pride to be able to maintain the crafts I was just talking about in the arrondissement - especially given the price of land in Paris. Without the Town Hall's determined action, many craftsmen would have been forced to leave. It was the City that bought the Cour de l'Industrie, as well as a second courtyard in the Passage des Taillandiers, the Cité des Taillandiers, where 22 craftsmen now work. Together with the Ateliers de Paris, located on rue Faidherbe and employing some 15 craftsmen, there are now almost 100 artisans working and manufacturing in the very heart of Paris!
These craftsmen and women were in the spotlight when we renovated the façade of the 11ᵉ town hall, which was literally falling into ruin, with pieces falling off and onto the sidewalk below. Today, the building has been restored to its former glory thanks to the work of the stonemasons and stonecutters, who have restored the decorations and motifs to their original glory. Come and visit us, and discover the large fresco in the village hall and the wedding hall! By the way, did you know that it was in this room that the provisional government of the Paris Commune took refuge, after the fire at the Hôtel de Ville? Every year, we commemorate the fall of the last barricade on rue de la Fontaine-au-Roi, opposite a restaurant with a legendary cellar: Vantre.
Another project that makes me proud is the opening of L'Atelier des Lumières, which is now an emblematic cultural venue in the arrondissement. Conventional tourist circuits did not spontaneously pass through the 11ᵉ arrondissement, so we had to bring people in with an attractive venue. L'Atelier des Lumières was a real locomotive and transformed the district. Since its inauguration, numerous bars, shops and restaurants have opened their doors in this corner of rue Saint-Maur, allowing people in the process to discover the small, sharp boutiques and artisans in this cool corner of the arrondissement.
One of my recent prides is also the delivery of the new Square Jules Verne, the only garden in the heart of Belleville. The 11ᵉ arrondissement is not endowed with vast spaces, large gardens or abandoned places to transform, so we do a lacework job that isn't necessarily noticeable but which enhances and requalifies small spaces. The garden and play area have been completely reorganized according to the children's wishes - they are the first to benefit, after all! Originally, all the adults involved (neighborhood councils, professionals from the green spaces department, elected representatives and architects) had agreed on a model, but in the end it was the children who chose... quite the opposite! On opening day, the square was packed to the rafters, and the kids took to it straight away.
L'Atelier des Lumières
The town hall's entire cultural program, with free family entertainment almost every day!
In addition to those I've already mentioned, La Petite Rockette, a highly developed resourcerie, is doing very well. They recover materials (clothing, furniture, various utensils) and transform them, in a bid to counter fast fashion and fast design. They have opened an anti-waste bar-restaurant(La Trockette), a workshop for repairing and selling second-hand bicycles(La Cycklette) and a boutique selling chic second-hand clothes at knock-down prices(La Cadette).
Tatane sports association working in Belleville. The 11ᵉ arrondissement is a trendy and festive district, but it's also a neighborhood with a real social mix that makes up all its charm and which must resist the waves of gentrification. Belleville's residents, and young people in particular, need solidarity and projects to project themselves into the future. Tatane has succeeded in uniting young and old, boys and girls alike, around soccer. One of their concepts is to play with the rules, organizing matches with one hand tied behind the back, for example, or with a ban on kicking with the right foot. By playing with the rules, they send out a message about living together and the importance of rules in society.
Thirdly, I'd say Théâtre à la Minute, which opened two months ago in a space made available by the town behind the Japy gymnasium. The concept is great: fifteen-minute mini-shows performed in four different small theaters, and it's up to the audience to move from theater to theater. It's a brilliant Spanish concept that Cuban-Spanish actress Miriel Cejas decided to bring back to Paris, and it's working like a charm! And then there's the Théâtre du Chariot, which has just opened!
Come on, I'll give you one more: Merci-Marsha, a cocktail bar with drag queens and a lovely team, next to Théâtre à la Minute. They were immediately adopted by the neighborhood. In my youth, when I was still president of an LGBT association, everything happened in the Marais. Today, the LGBT world is gently migrating to the 11ᵉ arrondissement, with the relocation of Violette and Co next toavenue Parmentier and Mots à la Bouche next to square Maurice Gardette, two committed bookstores.
The Violette and Co bookshop
I'm a big foodie, and the great thing about this neighborhood is that there's something for everyone! The bistronomic restaurant Gibon, located next to the town hall, has practically become my canteen; I also like Eunoé, which is not far away, Petit Nuage and Fulgurances, on rue Alexandre Dumas, with its concept of chefs in residence. For six months, a chef is invited to showcase his or her cuisine - a way for these talented chefs to get a foot in the door before launching their own restaurant.
And let's not forget Sélune, on rue de Montreuil, and its chef Bérangère Fagart, who is also co-president of the Communauté Ecotable, an association of restaurateurs committed to the environment, with a focus on seasonal cuisine, short circuits, good product sourcing and more. Sélune's menu is short, seasonal and conducive to fine discoveries, all in a magnificent setting.
One of my proudest achievements as mayor is the number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the arrondissement, which has risen from three to seven. Chef Jacky Ribault was one of the first (with his restaurant Qui Plume la Lune ed.), as was Septime, which has been here for some fifteen years. Since then, I've been to Amâlia - it's extraordinary, they've set the bar very high, and I really like Géosmine and its very inventive chef Maxime Bouttier, Automne and FIEF... but I'm forgetting many others!
Geosmin
Several tours are possible! For a tour of the 11ᵉ on the theme of craftsmanship, start at Place de la Bastille, take in the Passage du Cheval Blanc and the Cour Damoye where there's a cool coffee roaster, then head for Rue de la Roquette for an obligatory stop at Alain Ducasse's four manufactures - coffee, chocolate, ice cream and cookie. Continue on to passage Lhomme, a little gem, before discovering the Cité artisanale des Taillandiers I mentioned earlier.
You can also take a street-art tour. Street artists have created some incredible works on the walls of the Belleville district, as well as rue Oberkampf and rue de la Fontaine-au-Roi, between rue Saint-Maur and rue Morand. These works are managed by collectives, including one that's particularly close to my heart, on the wall of a social housing unit at 7 rue Desargues. It's a posthumous work by Hyuro, some thirty meters high, created from the artist's original sketch by Escif and Axel Void, in tribute to him.
It's a moving work of art, absolutely magnificent, and a key factor in the enhancement of public space. Belleville is the densest urban district in Europe, with a level of density approaching that of the centers of megalopolises like Manhattan or Shanghai. It's to make kids living in small areas understand that there are beautiful places outside, in their neighborhood, that we're pedestrianizing by the dozen and supporting projects like these.
Returning to the ideal stroll in the 11ᵉ arrondissement, you start at Place de la Bastille, pass through Rue de la Roquette, Passage Thiéré, Passage Lhomme and Rue des Taillandiers , where you take a look at the work of artisans, before moving on to Rue de la Roquette. Stroll up this street, and if it's a Wednesday afternoon or Saturday morning, stop off at the 100% organic market on Place du Père-Chaillet, a wonderful little neighborhood market, with a wonderful fishmonger that I recommend. You're almost at the town hall, where you take a quick tour, before stopping for lunch at Eunoé. You then head for L'Atelier des Lumières, before taking a short break to quench your thirst in one of the bars on rue Saint-Maur, before moving on to a game of soccer with the youngsters from the Tatane association in Belleville!
La Manufacture de Glace Alain Ducasse
It's an expected response, but I'd say last year's passage of the Olympic flame. It was July 15 and we had planned a show and a popular ball on the town hall forecourt. It must have been around 4pm and nobody was there, the streets were empty. But ten minutes before the flame passed, the Place Léon Blum and the Rue de la Roquette filled up, as if everyone had got the word out - it was black with people! Afterwards, everyone danced at the ball in a festive atmosphere, it was a lovely moment.
A more personal memory is my climb to the top of the July Column, on the Place de la Bastille. As you enter the building, you realize it's suspended above the Canal Saint-Martin, which runs beneath it! It's a moving place, a necropolis commemorating the citizens killed during the Trois Glorieuses, in July 1830. Once you're at the top, you'll have a fantastic view, but don't be afraid of heights!
July Column, Place de la Bastille
You'll find that I talk a lot about Belleville, but one project that's really close to my heart is the reconstruction of the Maurice Berlémont gymnasium on rue de l'Orillon, which burnt down two years ago. There's such a need for sports facilities in the neighborhood that we're going to double its surface area by adding a second level.
The other major project is the inauguration of MurMure, at 69 boulevard de Charonne, a venue for sound professionals in a former power station - a concrete building with huge basements, a large nave and, at its center, a cathedral-high opening topped by a glass roof. No longer in use, Enedis returned the site to the City, which issued a call for projects as part of its 'Réinventer Paris' initiative. Soon, the basement will be home to small studios fully insulated from outside noise, such as the metro, and fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, as well as a large room for recording symphony orchestras - something that doesn't exist in Paris intramuros! The project is colossal, but will soon be completed, and MurMure is due to open by the end of the year.
The Saint-Martin canal
The greening and pedestrianization of public space, with the creation of small, quiet, green, pedestrianized islands - similar to what has been done on a segment of Rue Oberkampf.
Montreuil, which reminds me sociologically of the 11ᵉ arrondissement, with a real social mix. In fact, some of our issues are similar, such as gentrification, maintaining the social housing stock, pre-empting businesses in order to preserve crafts. And there's a lot of fun stuff going on!
On the subject of pre-emption, just twenty years ago, certain streets in the 11ᵉ arrondissement were taken over by textile wholesalers. The peak was in 2007, with over 630 wholesalers, which completely sterilized the district. The City therefore pre-empted numerous first floors, in order to reinstate retail diversity and attractiveness, notably on rue de la Folie-Méricourt, rue Popincourt and on certain segments of boulevard Voltaire andavenue Parmentier.
Another project in Belleville, the Maison Sport-Santé ! The associative fabric is very rich in the 11ᵉ arrondissement, and we're fighting to preserve it. Some associations are really doing extraordinary work, I'm thinking in particular of associations committed to mental health issues, like the Maison Perchée, a fantastic structure and above all indispensable for young people. During Covid, we realized that young people were having to deal with mental health issues head-on, and that there weren't really any places dedicated to them. So they came up with this non-medical place, based on the principle of discussion groups for borderline, bipolar and schizophrenic young people, who can talk to each other, share their experiences and also trivialize the illness.
I'm also thinking of the 190, a sexual health center that does some very important prevention work, or the Maison Chemin Vert and its doctors, nurses and psychologists who do irreplaceable work.
Place de la République
The 11ᵉ is an authentic arrondissement that has preserved its soul - and even souls, to emphasize its mix. People know about its festive aspect, but I invite them to discover its artisans and its associative world. There's incredible solidarity here, and that's something that struck me after the attacks - so many people volunteered to help others - but also during Covid. So, come to the 11ᵉ arrondissement, you're going to meet some extraordinary people!
