“Welcome to the most expensive street in the Hauts-de-Seine.” That’s what they say about Avenue Maurice Barres. It offers views worth millions. Here on Avenue Maurice Barres you are face to face with luxury.
Avenue Maurice Barres in Neuilly-sur-Seine borders the Bois de Boulogne. The boulevard is about 900 meters long. It stretches from the Boulevard du Commandant-Charcot to the Boulevard des Sablons. The Avenue Maurice Barres is named after the writer Maurice Barrès. He lived here for a long time in a private mansion.
Notice how the buildings are set back. Courtyards hidden by grilles keep passersby at a distance. Many buildings feature long awnings. These protect entrances from the rain like in Manhattan.
Also note the small copper plaques on several buildings. They read: “Entrance forbidden to all businesses and personnel. Service entrance on the side.”
In 1962 eight paintings by Renoir Monet and Degas were stolen. The theft occurred at the home of a former Bolivian ambassador at number 30 Avenue Maurice Barres.
Léon Givaudan lived at number 68. He died here in 1936. Between 2019 and 2021 seven complaints for modern slavery were filed. These were filed by Filipino domestic workers of a Saudi prince. The prince stayed in the building with his family during the summer.
Marcel Boussac owned a 600 m2 duplex at number 74 Avenue Maurice Barres. The entrance to the Capitaine-Claude-Barrès square is also at number 74.
Prince Ali Khan lived at number 80. Later the Jordanian embassy in France was located here. In July 1971 pro-Palestinian protestors attacked the embassy. They threw Molotov cocktails at the building. In December 1970 protestors broke into the embassy vandalized it and tried to start a fire.
André Maurois lived at number 86 from 1931 until his death in 1967. A plaque was placed on the house in 1977.
In 1936 an advertising campaign promoted the building at number 96. It promised no more domestic worries or cooking for women. For men it offered delectable cuisine in an elegant setting.
At number 104 is the entrance to the Villa Maillot a private road. The building at number 124 was built after 1928. It replaced a house that Louis Dauvergne transformed in 1895.
Robert de Montesquiou lived at number 96 in the “pavilion of the Muses.” This building was destroyed in 1937. In 1902 Queen Marie-Sophie of Naples built a Louis XVI style hotel next to it.
In fiction number 96 is a secret exit. It connects to the warehouse of Arsène Lupin at 95 Rue Charles-Laffitte.
Today Avenue Maurice Barres is still highly sought after. Real estate here costs around 13500 euros per square meter. Some apartments especially on the higher floors can reach up to 20000 euros per square meter.