This area was almost wiped off the Parisian map during the 60’s when urban renewal plans called for cleaning up portions of the 14th. The idea was to raze the unhealthy areas of Paris, namely the area around Métro Pernety which was probably the poorest in the city.

Fortunately the Ave. Raymond Losserand was left in peace. Today this part of the quartier is enjoying a renaissance as a center for handicrafts and artists.

In alleyways and small offshoots from the main Avenue, there are dozens of low houses sheltering small gardens, courtyards and workshops still in business, giving the whole neighborhood a distinctive 19th century flair. Amazing.

To the casual tourist, most of the bistros and shops look fairly pedestrian, nothing like the fancy bright lights of the Boulevard du Montparnasse, and perhaps this is what gives the place its enduring charm. More than many other sectors of the city, the Maine Losserand quartier has kept its rustic, slightly shabby character. Get past the smoke filled bars and smudgy restaurant fronts, and experience a part of Paris that seems to belong to another century.