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The 'Champs-Élysées' (pronounced ) is the most prestigious and broadest avenue in Paris. Its full name is actually "Avenue des Champs-Élysées". With its cinemas, cafés, and luxury specialty shops, the Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world, and with rents as high as $1.25 million a year for of space, it remains the 2^nd most expensive strip of real estate in the world (the first in Europe) after New York City's Fifth Avenue.^[1] The name refers to the Elysian Fields, the place of the blessed in Greek mythology.
The Champs-Élysées is known as ''La plus belle avenue du monde'' ("The most beautiful avenue in the world"). The arrival of global chain stores in recent years has slightly changed the character of the avenue, and in a first effort to stem these changes, the Paris City government (which has called this "banalization") decided in 2007 to ban the Swedish clothing chain H&M from opening a store on the avenue.¹ This street is also very popular with many of the rich and famous.

Contents

Description

History

Premier offices and retail

Events

See also

Notes

External links

Namesakes

Description

The avenue runs for 2 kilometres (1.25 miles) through the 8th arrondissement in northwestern Paris, from the Place de la Concorde in the east, with its obelisk, to the Place Charles de Gaulle (formerly the Place de l'Étoile) in the west, location of the Arc de Triomphe. The Champs-Élysées forms part of the ''Axe historique''.
One of the principal tourist destinations in Paris, the lower part of the Champs-Élysées is bordered by greenery (Marigny Square) and by buildings such as the Théâtre Marigny and the Grand Palais (containing the Palais de la Découverte). The Elysée Palace is a little bit to the north, not on the avenue itself. Further to the west, the avenue is lined with cinemas, theaters, cafés and restaurants (most notably Fouquet's), and luxury specialty shops.

History

The Champs-Elysées were originally fields and market gardens, until 1616, when Marie de Medici decided to extend the garden axis of the Palais des Tuileries with an avenue of trees. As late as 1716, Guillaume de L'Isle's map of Paris shows that a short stretch of roads and fields and market garden plots still separated the grand ''axe'' of the Tuileries gardens from the planted "Avenue des Thuilleries", which was punctuated by a circular basin where the Rond Point stands today; already it was planted with some avenues of trees radiating from it that led to the river through woods and fields. In 1724, the Tuileries garden axis and the avenue were connected and extended, leading beyond the Place de l'Étoile; the "Elysian Fields" were open parkland flanking it, soon filled in with bosquets of trees formally planted in straight rank and file. To the east the unloved and neglected "Vieux Louvre" (as it is called on the maps), still hemmed in by buildings, was not part of the axis. In a map of 1724, the ''Grande Avenue des Champs-Elisée'' stretches west from a newly-cleared ''Place du Pont Tournant'' soon to be renamed for Louis XV and now the ''Place de la Concorde''.

By the late 1700s, the Champs-Elysées had become a fashionable avenue; the bosquet plantings on either side had thickened enough to be given formal rectangular glades (''cabinets de verdure''). The gardens of houses built along the Faubourg St-Honoré backed onto the formal bosquets. The grandest of them was the Élysée Palace. A semi-circle of housefronts now defined the north side of the Rond Point. Queen Marie Antoinette drove with her friends and took music lessons at the grand Hôtel de Crillon on the Place Louis XV. The avenue from the Rond Point to the Etoile was built up during the Empire. The Champs-Elysées itself became city property in 1828, and footpaths, fountains, and gas lighting were added. Over the years, the avenue has undergone numerous transitions, most recently in 1994, when the sidewalks were widened.
The Champs-Elysées, because of its size and proximity to several Parisian landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe, has made it the site of several famous (and infamous) military parades, the most famous of which were the march of German troops celebrating the Fall of France on June 14, 1940 and the subsequent entrance of Free French and American forces into the city after its liberation on August 25, 1944.

Premier offices and retail

In 1860, the merchants along the avenue joined together to form the ''Syndicat d'Initiative et de Défense des Champs-Élysées'', changed to an association in 1916 headed by Louis Vuitton to promote the avenue. In 1980, the group changed its name to the ''Comité des Champs-Élysées''. It is the oldest standing committee in Paris. The committee has always dedicated itself to seek public projects to enhance the avenue's ''luxe'' atmosphere, and to lobby the authorities for extended business hours. Even today, the committee has approval over the addition of new business to the avenue.
Because of the high rents, few people live on the Champs-Élysées; the upper stories tend to be occupied by offices. Rents are particularly high on the North side of the avenue, because of better exposure to sunlight.
The splendid architecture of the grandiose "Champs-Élysées" is admired by many people. It is located right next to the Palais de l'Élysée, the presidential palace, with its rounded gate, and the Grand Palais that was erected in the late 19th century. While walking among the gardens and tree-lined promenades one could even encounter an open-air marionette theatre for children, a French tradition popular through the ages.
Finally, the avenue is one of the most famous streets for shopping in the world. Benetton, the Disney Store, Nike, Zara, continental Europe largest's Gap and Virgin Megastore as well as Sephora occupy major spaces. Traditionally home of luxury brands, the Champs Elysées confirms its worldclass appeal as a prime real estate location: it has lately seen the opening of new big upscale shops such as the biggest Louis Vuitton department store in the world, which even hosts an exhibition room, and Adidas opened as well in February 2007 its largest store in the world in a wonderful old, classy building[[1].
]. Nike has done the same on the south side of this famous avenue by opening its largest European concept store known as "Nike Paris".

Events

Every year on Bastille Day, the largest military parade in Europe passes down the Champs-Élysées, reviewed by the President of the Republic (see on the parade).
Every year from end of November to end of December, the 'Champs-Elysees' Committee contribute for the Holidays seasons lighting of the Champs-Elysees.
The Champs-Elysées is also the traditional end of the last stage of the Tour de France.
Huge and spontaneous gatherings occasionally take place on the Champs-Élysées in celebration of popular events, such as New Year's Eve, or when France won the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Avenue des Champs-Elysées from Arc de Triomphe, looking east towards the Louvre

Avenue des Champs-Elysées from Place de la Concorde, seen from above the obelisk

Looking east along the 'Champs-Elysées' from the top of the Arc de Triomphe

View east towards the Place de la Concorde

View west towards the Arc de Triomphe

Christmas on the Champs-Élysées

See also

★ List of upscale shopping districts

Notes

1. Elaine Sciolino, "Megastores March Up Avenue, and Paris Takes to Barricades", ''New York Times'', January 21, 2007. link

External links

★ Barry Bergdoll, Columbia University: Paris maps

★ Satellite image from Google Maps

Namesakes

★ ''Champs-Elysées'', a French-language audiomagazine (monthly audio-recording-with-annotated-transcription periodical), a tool to help speakers of French as a foreign language to advance from intermediate toward advanced skill level.