Perhaps it is the echoes of history that linger here at Boulevard du Président Kennedy. It’s a place where the past whispers to the present. Today, we find ourselves on this iconic avenue in the 16th arrondissement. It is a tribute to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States.
Before 1964, this avenue was known as Quai de Passy. It was a simple road that ran along the Seine. The name changed to honor Kennedy after his assassination in November 1963. Boulevard du Président Kennedy has witnessed centuries of Parisian life. Its origins trace back to the route de Versailles. This was once a section of the route de Paris à Bayonne. This old road was later transformed into the Quai de Passy in 1842.
Imagine the scene in 1572. A police order directed that debris from demolitions be dumped here. This area was then known as the quai neuf des Bons-Hommes. Later, in the late 17th century, King Louis XIV improved the road. He used land from the Minimes convent and noble estates. The avenue’s path mirrors the riverbank of the former Passy commune. Passy was created in 1790 and annexed by Paris in 1860. The avenue begins at the old Passy gate. This was the edge of Paris’s tax wall before 1860.
At the end of the 17th century, the route de Versailles passed several notable sites. These included the Minimes convent, the Passy mineral water park, and the Lamballe hotel park. Benjamin Franklin acquired land near what is now Rue Beethoven. He established a factory to produce beet sugar.
Over time, the area evolved. In the early 20th century, post-Haussmann buildings replaced older structures. Jean-Jacques Rousseau once composed an opera here in 1752. Art Deco buildings appeared in the 1930s. The Lamballe hotel park was sold in 1922. The Peugeot factory occupied part of the land until 1968. The Passy-Kennedy building replaced it around 1980.
The site of the Boulainvilliers castle park became an industrial area. A gas factory operated here from 1832 until 1928. Later, sports fields occupied the space. In 1963, the Maison de Radio France was inaugurated on this site. The Avenue du Président Kennedy has seen its share of dramatic events. During the Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre in 1572, bodies washed up here. The first urban tramway in France, nicknamed the “American railway,” passed along the Quai de Passy in 1855.
In 1901, Santos-Dumont’s airship crashed near numbers 12 and 14. The avenue also suffered during the great flood of 1910. In 1996, the Place de Bolivie was inaugurated. It stands at the intersection of several streets, including Avenue du Président Kennedy.
The Bolivian Embassy is located at number 12. Number 14 was the site of Benjamin Delessert’s beet sugar refinery in 1812. The buildings at numbers 16-18 were designed by Louis Dauvergne. The Pont de Bir-Hakeim crosses the avenue. At number 42, a stylish Art Deco building was built in 1932. Alain Delon lived here with Romy Schneider and Mireille Darc. The Passy-Kennedy building at number 104 was completed in 1981. It stands near the Maison de Radio France. Number 116 is the Maison de Radio France itself.
Today, the Boulevard du Président Kennedy is a vibrant thoroughfare. It connects history with modern life. The avenue continues to evolve. It remains a vital part of Paris. It stands as a testament to the city’s rich past. It also honors a president whose legacy resonates even here. As we conclude our walk, remember the stories. Remember the layers of history beneath our feet.