STROLL
From village d'Auteuil to Maison de la Radio
The walk begins at the Place de l'Eglise d'Auteuil, whose I-shaped bell tower rises 50 meters high. This rustic square opens onto the former "Grand rue" of the village of Auteuil, now Rue d'Auteuil.
At 30 rue d'Auteuil, discover the Servant confectionery and chocolate shop and its jars of old-fashioned sweets that have been delighting local children since 1913. At 40 rue d'Auteuil, discover the Auberge du Mouton Blanc, where Molière, La Fontaine, Boileau, and Racine, who lived nearby, once gathered.
A few meters away, on Place Jean Lorrain, where the market is held every Wednesday and Saturday, take Rue Jean de la Fontaine to discover the building where Marcel Proust grew up, at 65 rue Jean de La Fontaine; the magnificent Studio Building, built in 1927, one of the last constructions of architect Henri Sauvage, at number 65; then the six buildings designed by Hector Guimard that follow one another, between the Hôtel Mezzara and the Castel Béranger (14, 17, 19, and 21 rue Jean de La Fontaine, then 8 and 10 rue Agar as well as 43 rue Gros) with their plant decor and their airy bow windows...
A stop at Cravan is a must. This café & cocktail bar, also designed by Guimard, is listed as a Historic Monument and has retained its Art Nouveau frescoes, chipped mirrors, and period zinc bar. A magical place with a lovely terrace under the plane trees.
Retracing your steps, take Ribeira Street to admire the works of Jean-Marie Boussard, an extravagant architect whose caryatids, sheathed atlantes, and blue glazed bricks adorn many of the neighborhood's buildings. Among his works is a huge horse-drawn chariot on the frontispiece of 45 rue Ribeira.
At the Jasmin metro station, walk up rue Jasmin, where you can discover the sublime door of the former PTT office designed by Paul Guadet at 21 rue Jasmin, then walk up rue Raffet towards rue du Docteur Blanche.
This street is a veritable architectural book for strollers, with the Villa Roche and La Maison Jeanneret-Raaf built by Le Corbusier, which now houses the Le Corbisier Foundation; rue Mallet-Stevens, entirely designed in the late 1920s by the architect Mallet-Stevens (from the concrete villas painted with white plaster to the sidewalks and lampposts); and the superb black mosaic studio building by Pierre Patout.
Then walk down rue de l'Assomption, where James Joyce, Michel Audiard, and Georges Perec (author of Allées et venues) lived, to the Maison de la Radio. The cultural building, built in the 1960s, houses Radio France stations, recording studios, and concert halls. "The Round House" (its nickname) organizes weekly tours to discover its architectural and musical heritage.
Finally, don't leave the neighborhood without a detour to the Gare de l'avenue du Président-Kennedy - Maison de Radio-France, adorned with a 300m² fresco by street artist Max Tetar, whose bright colors brighten up the station.
