with David Hill

Montmartre - Part 1, Paris, France

Hi, I'm David Hill with New York Habitat.

Today we're going to discover the lovely district of Montmartre.

Walking through its winding streets

you'll get the feeling that you're actually in a

bohemian village on a hill way outside of Paris.

But don't let that feeling fool you.

Montmartre is tucked away in the north of the city

just above Les Grands Boulevards and the Opéra.

It was one of the last towns to be amalgamated

into the 19th century Paris,

allowing it to retain a village-like atmosphere.

Since then its gently rolling fields

have been transformed into Paris' lively bohemian center.

Today the village feel and the city influence live in harmony,

making Montmartre one of the coolest and most

curious districts of the city.

This will be the first of a two-part series

on this fantastic neighborhood.

So be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel

and you'll be notified when Part 2

comes out in a few weeks.

If you're arriving in Montmartre by metro

be sure to take the stairs!

The metro station Abbesses is the

deepest subway station in Paris.

This is because Montmartre is the

second highest point in the city,

after the Eiffel Tower.

Montmartre, or "the Mountain of the Martyrs,"

probably gets its name from the martyr Saint Denis,

considered the first bishop of Paris,

who was beheaded here in the 3rd century AD

by the Romans

In the 19th century working class Parisians

and starving artists flocked to the area for the

the cheap housing and equally cheap wine.

Thus Montmartre became the playground of Paris

with its lively cabarets and dancehalls.

You may wonder why I hadn't mentioned the

Sacré-Coeur speaking of the history of Montmartre.

that is because the white domed church

on the top of the hill, is actually much younger

then it looks and was the subject of much

controversy when it was built.

Only consecrated in 1914,

the building of the church

helped lead tourism to the city

and especially to the area as the

French flocked to see the church.

However not everyone was happy with

the construction of a church

in the middle of Montmartre.

In fact the day of its opening.

the owner of the Moulin Rouge

just down the hill

he came up crying 'the Devil, the Devil'

of course others there responded

actually the Devil, my friend, is found in the Moulin Rouge.

This is the Moulin Rouge perhaps the most famous,

or rather infamous, cabaret in the world.

The red windmill was inspired by the

thirty or so windmills that dotted Montmartre

at the time it opened in 1889.

The once ultra-risqué birthplace

of the cancan has now turned into

a sort of tourist Mecca.

If you really want to absorb yourself

in the culture and daily life of Montmartre,

you'll want to forgo the hotel and book one of the

many vacation rental apartments that New York Habitat

has to offer in the area.

There's no better way to truly enjoy

your stay in Paris.

While the cabaret at the Moulin Rouge

was more for wealthy Parisian men,

the Moulin de la Galette held parties in the garden

for the locals to bring their sweethearts on the weekend.

It was in this very garden, hidden behind the windmill,

that the impressionist artist

Renoir painted his masterpiece

The Bal du Moulin de la Galette

which you can see on display

at the Musée d'Orsay.

While most of the cabarets down closer to the boulevards

were full of dancing girls

and well off Parisians,

the little Lapin Agile

was the artists' hangout.

This was where Picasso and his gang

could be found, occasionally exchanging a painting

for a pitcher of wine.

Montmartre continues to have a great nightlife buzz.

If you're after a drink or two amongst the cool Montmartois

head to La Fourmi,

if you're in the sparkling mood check out Call Me Bubbles

a tiny but trendy Champagne bar behind the Sacré-Coeur.

If it's clubbing you're after try the famous Folies Pigalle

or the recently revived Bus Palladium

with its live music or DJs,

style changes depending on the night

Well, I hope you've enjoyed our tour of Montmartre.

and of course, if I missed any of your favorite

corners of this little neighborhood

make sure you leave a message in the comment

section below

And don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel

so you can be notified when Part 2 comes out in a few weeks.

In Part 2 we'll tackle the art history of Montmartre

as well as where to shop and where to eat.

If you're planning a trip to Paris,

do yourself a favor, skip the boring hotel room

and rent a furnished apartment

through New York Habitat.

Visit our website at www.nyhabitat.com.

You're just a few clicks away

from living like a real Montmartois.

I'm David Hill with New York Habitat.

And I certainly hope to see soon

in the City of Light!