“Avenue de Neuilly” rings a bell for many Parisians. This is the former name of what we now know as Avenue Général de Gaulle.
Avenue Général de Gaulle stretches through Neuilly-sur-Seine. It forms part of the Route Nationale 13. This avenue is more than just a road. It is a vital artery connecting Paris to La Défense.
Imagine the constant flow. Around 160000 vehicles travel on it each day. That is a lot of hustle and bustle.
Avenue Général de Gaulle has undergone some changes over the years. A section of it was covered in 1992. This is known as the Madrid covering. It spans 440 meters. There has been talk of covering a larger segment of about 1400 meters but discussions are still ongoing since 2006.
The avenue got its current name to honor a significant figure. It is named after Charles de Gaulle. He was a general. He was also the leader of Free France. Later he became the President of the French Republic from 1959 to 1969.
Before 1971 it was called Avenue de Neuilly. Some locals still use that name. It is unusual for a road to be named after the town it is in.
Along Avenue Général de Gaulle several notable buildings stand. Number 24 is home to UGC. Number 30 houses Gaumont. At number 66 you will find an old post office. Paul Bessine designed it in 1932.
This Art Deco building once had the post office on the ground floor. The telephone exchange was upstairs. Functional apartments were on the top floor. In 2006 the building was converted into offices. A smaller post office remains on Rue Louis-Philippe. The front of the building still reads “Postes Télégraphes Téléphones – Chèques postaux – Caisse nationale d’épargne.”
Further down at number 56 is the headquarters for RTL RTL2 and Fun Radio. M6 has its headquarters at number 89. If you are looking for Warner Bros. Discovery France find numbers 115-123. In the 1960s Eddie Barclay a music producer had his offices at number 143. Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church is located at number 158. Lastly the headquarters of SACEM is at number 225.
Avenue Général de Gaulle is not just a street. It is a place where history architecture and modern life meet. Take a stroll and feel the pulse of Neuilly-sur-Seine.