Question: Ever wondered how a former textile district in Paris transformed into a hub for internet startups? That is the Sentier. Today we are right in front of the Sentier.
The Sentier is a vibrant neighborhood in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. It is an area with a rich history and a dynamic present. Historically, the Sentier was known as a multicultural textile and garment manufacturing district. This was the heart of the French textile industry.
By the 19th century, the Sentier was a bustling center for fabric wholesalers and distributors. Small tailors and retail shops lined the streets. Fabric, clothing, and accessories were traded here. The Sentier was the place to find linen, leather goods, and haberdashery. Honoré de Balzac even mentions the Sentier in his novel Le Bal de Sceaux. Émilie de Fontaine discovers Maximilien Longueville selling fabric there.
But the Sentier is not just about textiles. It also has a strong connection to the press industry. Many newspapers had their headquarters here. Balzac mentions this in La Rabouilleuse. Philippe Bridau files his copy in the Sentier before going to dinner.
In the late 1990s, the Sentier began to change. Internet start-up companies started moving in. This led to the area being nicknamed Silicon Sentier. The Sentier’s proximity to the former Paris stock exchange made it attractive to tech companies. High-speed fiber optic networks were deployed in the area.
Telehouse Europe opened one of the first datacenters in the Sentier in 1996. This datacenter is still used today by many operators. During the Dot Com Boom, many startups settled here. Yahoo!, Lastminute.fr, and MandrakeSoft all had offices in the Sentier.
The garment factories moved out. This left many empty spaces. Rents were affordable at first. But as more companies moved in, free spaces became rare and rents rose. After the Dot-Com bubble burst in 2000, many firms closed.
The Sentier has also appeared in several films. Thomas Gilou’s La Vérité si je mens! trilogy was filmed here. The films capture the atmosphere of the Sentier.
Today, the Sentier is a mix of old and new. Textile shops still exist alongside tech companies. The area offers pleasant walks. You can explore charming covered passages and historic alleys. The Sentier offers surprising changes in atmosphere. Each street has its own unique character.
The area around Place des Victoires is elegant. Near Saint Eustache Church, you will find sunny terraces. Rue Saint Denis is noisier and more popular. The names of the streets remind us of Napoleon Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt.
The Sentier continues to evolve. It is a place where history and innovation meet. The Sentier is a reminder of Paris’s ability to reinvent itself.