St. Germain Jacob 1

The cachet of rue Jacob

The St. Germain des Pres district of Paris is perhaps the most famous neighbourhood of what is already the world's most celebrated city; this is where artists, politicians, and intellectuals have gathered for centuries. Within the somewhat vague confines of this exclusive area of Paris, there are certain streets that are more desirable than others… streets that have what the French call ‘cachet’…where the buzz is subdued, refined and enticing enough to make people want to be on that particular street, not elsewhere, even though the street is more residential than anything else. No matter. The Rue Jacob is one of those streets where people want to be.

With all of its current cachet, centuries ago, this street used to be a simple footpath running along the northern boundary of the sprawling Abby of St. Germain des Pres, just outside the fortified city walls. Originally called the rue du Colombier, in the early 17th century, the western end of the street was changed to ‘rue Jacob’ by the devout first wife of King Henry IV, otherwise known as the ‘Reine Margot’. She raised an “altar of Jacob” at a local convent in remembrance of this biblical patriarch. The name Jacob was extended to the entire street in 1836.

This apartment, located in a very quiet 17th century building, is set up as a duplex with an internal oak staircase joining the two floors. The upper floor has four tall windows overlooking a private walled courtyard garden area and the trees of a private park beyond. Stone walls and exposed beams are part and parcel of this charming abode. Elegantly furnished, this upper floor comprises a living room with a separate, fully equipped kitchen, a bedroom area with a king-size bed, a bathroom with a large bathtub/shower, and a separate toilet. Situated at the very back of an inner courtyard, most all you hear from morning to evening are the birds singing. The private walled garden area, which is only accessible from this apartment and the adjacent flat (listed as the ST GERMAIN JACOB 1 and the ST GERMAIN JACOB 2 flats on our website, both of which are managed by ILoveParisApartments.com) is a delightful place to sit and read, surrounded by greenery.

Depending on the size of your group, you could conceivably take both flats and accommodate up to 8 people; otherwise, this duplex flat sleeps 4 with the main bedroom area situated upstairs and the other two twin beds downstairs on the ground floor in what used to be an artist’s atelier. Amenities include: a flat screen TV, high-speed internet access, a telephone, CD/stereo player, hairdryer, etc.

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"... this time, I was going until 1 A.M., loading up my car with the following: 2 very large rectangular mirror frames, a lovely porcelain corner sink with its original faucet, an oak cabinet door, a small cheese cabinet door with its wooden grill, more carved marble mantle pieces, a large cast iron skillet, and bits and pieces of carved wood: from molding to cornices."

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