Pappeln neighborhood, Neighbourhood in the 13th arrondissement, Paris, France
The Quartier des Peupliers is a small residential neighborhood in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, tucked between Rue Bobillot, Rue Tolbiac, and the Porte d'Italie. It is made up of narrow paved lanes, small brick and meulière stone houses, many of which have gardens and iron fences.
The area was originally part of the village of Gentilly and was only absorbed into Paris in the late 19th century. The soft ground left by the old course of the Bièvre river prevented large buildings from being constructed, which is why the neighborhood kept its low, small-scale layout.
The name of the neighborhood comes from the poplar trees that once lined the banks of the Bièvre river, giving the area its rural character. Today, visitors walking along streets like Rue Dieulafoy notice wisteria and jasmine climbing over brick and stone facades, a sight that still reflects that older, planted past.
The neighborhood is best explored on foot, as most of its lanes are too narrow for cars. Spring is a good time to visit, when flowering plants cover the house fronts and the gardens are at their most colorful.
The Rue du Moulin-de-la-Pointe leads to the Jardin du Moulin-de-la-Pointe, a small garden decorated with street art and ping-pong tables, sitting on ground where old mills once stood. Some of the houses along Rue Pape were built by a company called La Petite Chaumière and were originally painted in pastel colors, making them stand out from the rest of the neighborhood.
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