Rue Crémieux. A social media obsession in Paris

The battle for peace on Rue Crémieux

There is no denying that this stunning street in the nation’s capital, has the perfect ingredients for an Instagram story. It’s located in the 12th arrondissement, alongside the hippest districts in Paris. Plus, it feels quintessentially French as it’s a cobbled street. But, most importantly, the creme de la creme of this gorgeous rue – is its unquestionable uniqueness. Rue Crémieux is the only residential haven we know of in the capital, with pretty cotton-candy, pastel-coloured houses and apartments. 

The traditional apartment buildings that adorn Paris are admittedly, absolutely stunning; but the beautifully painted homes, on this 170m long street, really stand out against that more traditional canvas. The trés beau shutters, street art and terracotta plant pots dotted along the paving, filled with wild greenery, just add to the allure of Rue Crémieux. And this is why it has become such a huge Instagram sensation.

Rue Crémieux, as you can see, has a colourful charming wow factor, making it the perfect place to capture beautiful images in a picturesque setting. Which is why photographers and tourists just can’t seem to get enough of it.

“We keep seeing people twerking” said an unhappy resident

Every day, Instagrammers, Youtubers and many tourists, flock to this discreet street, taking shots and family snaps to share on social media. But, nothing is wrong with this, in theory, right? Especially given that Paris is, in our opinion, the most beautiful capital in the world, almost every inch of this city is fair game! Plus, Instagrammers help enhance this carefully cultivated image, so what’s the problem?

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by V i v i a n ✿ GIRLY COZY CHIC (@wisteria_voyage) on Jan 23, 2019 at 4:53pm PST

Well, some of the residents living in Rue Crémieux have had enough! Many have started to aggressively voice their despair at the constant attention their abodes are getting. So fed-up are they with the music videos, fashion shoots and the endless parade of prying eyes and cameras, they’re lobbying for assistance from local government, to bring this nuisance to an end.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Club Crémieux (@clubcremieux) on Oct 7, 2018 at 6:19am PDT

One resident has reportedly told the press “We keep seeing people twerking with their music for hours, my children cannot do their homework with all this noise”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kami (@kami_yeahyellow) on Mar 4, 2019 at 8:25am PST

Of course, we sympathise! We can’t imagine what it would be like waking up to a merry band of twerkers first thing, but it’s a tricky situation. Paris is revered and markets’ itself on beauty, so isn’t this just an occupational hazard? Some of the neighbours of the disgruntled inhabitant we quoted above, feel differently.

One told a local newspaper “It’s livable for me, I don’t see any hostility. Yes, there are hundreds of people taking photos….but for me it is not hell. The people are coming for a good time and in the evening it is calm.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Aquib Ali Farzeen (@aqfarzeen) on Dec 20, 2018 at 5:16am PST

Another said. “The street is public and pedestrian, it is normal that it attracts people. We are especially lucky to live in this setting. And all in all the tourists are rather kind and understanding although it is true that there are sometimes people intrusive and not respectful. It can annoy. ”

The problem, however, has arrived on the desks of officials at the Mayor’s office, who have been looking into the issue for a while. Filming is already prohibited but there seem to be issues with regards to enforcing the rule.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Journeys at my way (@journeysatmyway) on Mar 11, 2019 at 6:38am PDT

The mayor of the district Catherine Baratti-Elbaz and Jean-Francois Martins a deputy, are trying to come up with a satisfactory proposal for the conundrum.

“We are in constant contact with the local residents’ association. We have already put up signs and we regulate activities in this street. We have also removed the promotion of the street from the website of the tourist office and congresses of Paris…and we asked the regional committee of tourism of Ile-de-France to do the same. Now we will study the parking of tourist buses and find solutions for possible access control. Paris is very proud to be a city that attracts tourists but it is also a city where we live. We must find the balance. ”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 🍒 b o l l y m o d e l y (@bolly_modely) on Mar 10, 2019 at 10:30am PDT

Bar it being a gated rue de Paris, it is going to be super tricky keeping people away from an adored street in a city that attracts the largest number of tourists in the world. It’s a tall order! In fact, all this sudden publicity around the ‘problem’ has just amplified awareness of Rue Crémieux and will likely attract more interest and therefore visitors, as this story has literally gone global!

So if you didn’t know about Rue Crémieux before, you and millions of others surely know about it now.

Who knows what will happen? But hey, here are few fun facts before we bring this post to an end.

• The street is actually named after a lawyer, it was renamed in 1897 in dedication to Adolphe Crémieux, who defended the human rights of the Jewish people living in France.
• Only 150 people live there.
• Inside, they are no deeper than one room – they are miniature.

If you go, please be mindful of the current issue described above and make sure you don’t do ‘le twerk’, while you’re there.

Big thank you to Simon Jones, photographer and globe trotter who runs the wonderful website 366pictures.com, he agreed to supply some images for this story, so please check out his website.

Love MLP

If you enjoyed the post please like it, comment and follow us on Facebook too.