700 meters long a Parisian lane Rue des Haies whispers secrets. It sits in the 20th arrondissement a vibrant part of the city. Rue des Haies wasn’t always a street. It began as a simple path bordered by hedges hence its name. Imagine the quiet countryside before the city expanded.
The 1730 Roussel map shows it as a pathway. By 1812 it was the Chemin du Petit-Charonne. A small lane on the outskirts of Paris. Things changed dramatically in 1844. It was officially named Rue des Haies and transformed into a proper street. The Petite Ceinture railway’s construction in 1852 impacted it though. A portion between Rue des Maraichers and Rue Courat disappeared.
But Rue des Haies endured. It absorbed the section ending at Rue d’Avron becoming part of Rue Planchat in 1875. Today Rue des Haies thrives. It is home to fascinating buildings. Number 27 houses historic public baths. Numbers 29-35 hold the impressive Louise-Michel library. Number 43 opens to the charming Jardin Casque d’Or a shared garden. The Grande Loge mixte universelle has its headquarters at number 51.
Number 80 boasts a unique history. Originally workshops it was meticulously renovated in 2007. It housed the online newspaper Rue89 then became an incubator Welcome City Lab and finally Smart Food Paris. The old cobblestones remain a testament to the past. Today Rue des Haies blends old and new. It reflects Paris’s ongoing transformation a beautiful mix of history and modernity. It is a place where the past lives on in the present. This street speaks volumes. It invites you to explore its rich history and its present vibrancy.