Quartier de la Villette

The Quartier de la Villette forms the western part of the 19th arrondissement in northeastern Paris and traces its origins to the former commune of La Villette, which was incorporated into the city in 1860. Originally shaped by a working-class population, factories, the livestock market, and the large slaughterhouses (which were moved to Pantin in 1974), the neighborhood underwent a profound transformation in the late 1970s. The once-neglected area gave rise to, among other things, the Parc de la Villette, which today, however, belongs to the neighboring Quartier du Pont-de-Flandre. Today, visitors will find a mix of historic fabric and modern culture here. Notable sights include the Rotonde de la Villette, a toll house designed by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux in 1788, and the city's last lift bridge, the Pont levant de la rue de Crimée. Along the Bassin de la Villette, former commercial buildings, now used as student housing, line up next to a movie theater complex. The Centquatre-Paris arts center, the Théâtre International de Langue Française, and the municipal Jacques-Ibert Conservatory also contribute to the area's cultural life.