Near the end of the 18th century, Paris had enlarged to include the area north of the fortress walls torn down by Louis XIV. Private mansions, businesses and new neighborhoods sprouted up from Faubourg Poissionere to St-Lazare. During the Second Empire in 1854, Baron Haussmann was charged with re-designing Paris’ roads and boulevards. He created Place de la République at the convergence of the thoroughfares which united these new neighborhoods to central Paris. The monument by sculptor Moricet which currently sits on the square arrived in 1883. The great train stations of Paris, such as the Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est also rose to importance in this era. However, the principal access from outlying areas was via the Canal Saint-Martin. It was created from 1822 to 1825 as a prolongation of the canal de l’Ourcq originally conceived by Napoleon I to supply the city with potable water.
Many of the canal’s original drawbridges and pedestrian overpasses are still present today. In earlier times, the canal was lined with tanneries which have gradually been replaced by working-class bistros. The renovated walkways on either side have become a popular place to have a stroll. During the summer months, the adjacent streets are closed to car traffic for the benefit of walkers, bikers and rollerbladers. The famous Hotel du Nord, immortalized by the cinema in 1938 by Marcel Carné, is along Quay Jemmapes. Just a bit further to the east is Père-Lachaise cemetery, the burial place of Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Modigliani and Jim Morrison. Finally, a bit further out is Parc de la Villette and its Science Museum.
Café de La Musique, sister establishment to the popular Café Beaubourg and decorated by E. de Portzamparc) if you’re headed all the way to Parc de la Villette. Closer in, the Terminus Nord in front of the Gare du Nord for fruits de mer and its authentic platters sauerkraut, a specialty of eastern France.
