Paris has long been known for its world-class shopping. The world’s best designers come to unveil new creations here at Fashion Week, they open their boutiques here and fashionistas flock from all over to revel in Paris chic consumerism. As New York Habitat has discovered, finding the newest shopping trends in Paris is easy, but uncovering an original antique is a bit harder and a whole lot more rewarding.
In the City of Light, the best places to treasure hunt are the centuries old flea markets de Vanves and Saint Ouen. New York Habitat’s accommodation options in Paris are close enough to the markets to make lugging purchases back home a breeze. To enter these Parisian markets is to enter a world where haggling is the preferred language and kitsch and high brow comfortably rub shoulders.
Located at the edge of the 18th arrondissement, the Saint Ouen flea market is immense; in fact, it’s the world’s largest antique market. Connoisseurs of everything from silverware to textiles revel in the market’s seven hectares of space, 2,500 dealers and more than 120,000 weekend visitors. Be prepared to spend your entire day at the Saint Ouen in order to find what you’re looking for; though well organized, the speed of the market can be a bit intimidating.
At the other end of town is the less overwhelming, but nonetheless excellent, Vanves flea market. This market features 380 professional merchants displaying vintage clothing, Art Deco lighting fixtures, jewelry, books, bric-a-brac and just about everything else. At both markets be sure to bring cash, as credit cards are generally not accepted here.
These two famous markets are at opposite ends of the city: Saint Ouen in the north and Vanves in the south. New York Habitat has several attractive apartment choices in the 14th arrondissement close to the Vanves market.
For families visiting Paris, there is a large 3-bedroom rental apartment in Montparnasse-Porte de Versailles (PA-840). Up north, in Saint Ouen’s 18th arrondissement quarter are many New York Habitat apartments. For example, this rustic and completely original 2-bedroom apartment rental in Montmartre-Sacre Coeur (PA-2365) is big enough to store plenty of flea-market buys.
I used to spend whole days at a time at the St-Ouen market when I was a student in Paris. I remember finding dueling pistols in antique shops and the art deco furniture in one area, and then all this contemporary clothing in another. Once I saw Uma Thurman going into a cafe, and I just stood there staring. Anyway, it would be very convenient to have an apartment there and go all the time to beat the weekend crowd, and of course upper Montmartre is absolutely wonderful.
I found your website very informative and have referred it to a number of my clients. I go to the Paris flea markets as part of our winter antiquing tour of Europe and many of my clients have inquired about were to stay when they go back on thier own.
The history of the flea market dates back over two centuries, when rag and bone men scoured through the garbage of Paris at night to find valuable junk to sell on. They were called ‘crocheteurs’ or pickers. The romantic term was ‘pêcheurs de lune’ or fishermen for the moon. Many set up their temporary stalls within the Paris walls, in sleazy neighborhoods but because these neighborhoods were full of pickpockets and thieves, they were chased out of the city walls to Clignancourt, Montreuil, Vanves, etc. The largest of these flea markets is the one at Clignancourt but the other two continue to this day.
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Good source for Paris travel deals