Jump to content

Perpignan 'dirty & shabby'?


Lozza
 Share

Recommended Posts

All set to travel to Perpignan to view property when I read in a current travel guide that the city is 'downright dirty and shabby, with numerous boarded-up business premises around the corner from chic boutiques. Few will want to stay more than a day or two'.

Does anyone dispute or concur with this description? Obviously we still want to travel there to see for ourselves, but any advice would be gratefully received.

Lozza (1st time user)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Lozza"]All set to travel to Perpignan to view property when I read in a current travel guide that the city is 'downright dirty and shabby, with numerous boarded-up business premises around the corner from chic boutiques. Few will want to stay more than a day or two'[/quote]

Perpignan is not worse than many other cities in the south.

The description could certainly be applied to such places as Béziers, and even Montpellier has its run-down areas.

Remember that although the South is a tourist area in summer, it is one of the poorest parts of France with a high rate of unemployment and increasing crime.

Burned out cars and dustbins are frequently a feature.

Many businesses in town centres are felling the pinch and closing unable to take the competition from supermarkets

Behind the festivals and férias there are tensions between different ethnic groups , and a real problem of  cleanliness particularly in regard to dogs and overflowing dustbins.

Perpignan is no worse than the rest, but may be uncomfortable in one or quite  two central areas such as St Jacques

where there were violent incidents a few years ago, or you may love it  depending on your personal point of view

Don't forget too that it is a Catalan town which means that it is  a particularly closed society in terms of being accepted except for your money. Young non-Catalans despair of getting work.

If you can manage to read French there is this site which gives a French point of view

In any case try to visit out of the tourist season.

On the positive side it has one of the top Rugby teams in France.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being there several times over the past few years. Never noticed it being dirty or shabby, however neither my wife or ever felt comfortable walking through the streets of the old city as large groups of young men could be found on a lot of street corners and on more than one occasion followed us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We live just under an hour away and visit on a regular basis. The area round the rugby grounds is a bit rough but the centre is OK. The only negative thing I can say is that very few people who live there stay in July, August and September because it is so hot. Temperatures can reach and exceed 40 deg with little or no wind. Air conditioning is really a must if you want to stay there during these months.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perpignan is like all towns - great for some, ok for some others, and terrible for the rest.

The real questions you need to ask are why do I want a house, what type of house do I want, how much do I want to afford, and roughly what area am I interested in. I would answer all of these questions in detail before setting off to view a house.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was in Perpignan last week.  It has an appeal and a buzz about it.

My wife paricularly likes the variety of shops.  We didn't notice many boarded up ones.  I think you too will enjoy the variety and change from the ubiquitous shops throughout the UK.

Yes it is shabby and dirty in parts, but as has been said, this description can be applied to most if not all French towns and cities.

I particularly love Cannes and Nice, but I could say the same about these two very popular cities.

A sanitised French city does not exist.  They all have their share of dirt, dog poo, and fresh and stale urine!

My wife still gets annoyed to come upon French males happily urinating in daylight and in public view.  They add to the heady stench of dog and male urine that assaults your nostrils in public areas in France. 

I gave up a long time ago wanting French towns and cities to be what I believed they could be, with just a few nips and tucks.

I could live in Perpignan.  It is certainly more interesting and pleasant than some of our boring UK towns and cities.  Go for it........but rent first.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's interesting to see that those who have spent a few days holiday in

Perpignan don't share the opinion of the French people who actually

live there!

I quote from the site I posted earlier:

Ville morte

C'est très sale et il y a une insécurité constante et de l'incivisme comme j'espère nullement ailleurs

surtout ne pas prendre les petites rues, rester sur les grands axes

L'insécurité et la saleté des quartiers défavorisés

Installée à Perpignan depuis 1992, je trouve cette ville moche, triste,

pas de jardins dignes de ce nom, peu de spectacles, mal desservie,

l'impression d'être au bout du monde. Je souhaite en partir dès que

possible."

Il faut bien regarder avant d'être charmé

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's interesting to see that those who have spent a few days holiday in

Perpignan don't share the opinion of the French people who actually

live there!

I quote from the site I posted earlier:

Ville morte

C'est très sale et il y a une insécurité constante et de l'incivisme comme j'espère nullement ailleurs

surtout ne pas prendre les petites rues, rester sur les grands axes

L'insécurité et la saleté des quartiers défavorisés

Installée à Perpignan depuis 1992, je trouve cette ville moche, triste,

pas de jardins dignes de ce nom, peu de spectacles, mal desservie,

l'impression d'être au bout du monde. Je souhaite en partir dès que

possible."

Il faut bien regarder avant d'être charmé
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I assume the original poster is English or certainly not French, and if that is the case I cannot understand why anyone would want to buy a property in Perpignan! Whole areas to be avoided include the 'quartiers' north of the centre (Bas Vernet, Moyen Vernet, Haut Vernet), the historic cirty centre around the cathedral (very poor area where a few years ago there was conflict between the Arab and gypsy populations requiring the presence of 1,200 CRS for two months - not widely reported at the time), the western suburbs towards the University, leaving just some of the out-of-town suburbs to the south and east, approaching the coast (Cabestany etc).

Property prices are cheapest in the Vernets noted above (from 600 euros/m²) up to the most expensive (1,600 to 2,500 euros/m²) in the central area near the Prefecture and south-east of the centre. For investment, possibly? For living, depends.

A better choice would be either one of the coastal towns (Canet, St Cyprien, Argelès or Collioure) that are 25 minutes drive from Perpignan, or one of the many inland villages that are 10 to 20 minutes drive. Parking is however a nightmare apart from paid underground car parks.

I have lived in this area for eight years so I speak of what I know, and my young French friends make no bones about pointing out what they call the 'quartiers chauds' (hot areas) that even they avoid.  Hope the info helps.

P-D de R.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="NormanH"]It's interesting to see that those who have spent a few days holiday in Perpignan don't share the opinion of the French people who actually live there!
I quote from the site I posted earlier:
Ville morte
C'est très sale et il y a une insécurité constante et de l'incivisme comme j'espère nullement ailleurs

surtout ne pas prendre les petites rues, rester sur les grands axes

L'insécurité et la saleté des quartiers défavorisés

Installée à Perpignan depuis 1992, je trouve cette ville moche, triste, pas de jardins dignes de ce nom, peu de spectacles, mal desservie, l'impression d'être au bout du monde. Je souhaite en partir dès que possible."

Il faut bien regarder avant d'être charmé[/quote]

You quote someone with an obviously jaundiced view.

On the same site there are numerous alternative quotes from locals who praise the city.

There are UK websites akin to this French one where there is the same mix of jaundiced and positive viewpoints about British cities.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
We live about 8 km northeast of Perpignan - 2 km from the beach and we love it.

Have only just seen this thread otherwise I would have replied sooner.

As it so happens, we are thinking of selling and moving back to UK after owning the property for 20 years and living in it permanently for the last 7.

Our reasons are family based.

What did you decide in the end?

Are you still thinking of buying in the area?

Maybe this is fate!!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perpignan as a tourist city is not as nice as Narbonne (IMHO) and I haven't yet done Montpelier.

However there is the question as to why live in the city? Village life in a good thriving village is good. The coast has merits (+ wind!) the inland has merits (and I am biased towards Vernet les Bains which is not any of the Vernets listed as suburbs of Perpignan). Perpignan itself is never far away.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not crazy about Perpignan or Narbonne, IMO, Montpellier is far nicer.  But then, I really don't care for cities (or large towns - even small towns really [:D]).  In the past, I have always chosen the most isolated spot available in which to dwell.  I now live in a very small village (right in the middle), and I love it - so things change!  I think, as someone said earlier, it is better to know a place (and really) like it, then look for a house.  Finding a lovely and temptingly cheap house is more likely in a place where no-one wants to live - so beware! [:D]
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting point from "Buelligan" regarding moving into a village rather than the isolation of the countryside. The appeal of France to many must be have been the chance of a home with land at a reasonable price;compared with UK prices anyway. Having bought our first house in Bretagne in a small village but 15 kms from services/shops/restaurants etc we decided to move nearer to a larger town. after 3 moves,all second homes, we realised the advantage of being within a short distance of all services for several reasons. Age I will say is one of them and the advantage of being within easy reach of Docs/Dentists/Clinics/Hospital Garageetc along with a choice of bun shops /hypermarkets all within a few minutes has proved to be a bonus. Cheaper fuel costs and less worry about getting anything, even the Impo/CPAM etc are only 5 minutes away but we can still look out over the countryside and The Rance and many beaches are just around the corner. A consideration as well now that Ryanair seems to be closing several of their routes is the proximity of a choice of Ferry services and flights from Dinard Airport should a quick return to U.K. be required. We have ventured down south on several occasions,thinking of a move but once we passed Toulouse things changed and not only the weather.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're pretty much in the same position as Gastines; right on the edge of a small town with all amenities (at least a dozen bakers!) except a hospital, and no need to use a car unless we choose to for getting out and about, and it suits us very well. (We don't have the view over the Rance, of course [:D]) The weather down in the south suits us fine, with blue skies and sunshine most days, apart from occasional very heavy storms, even when it's bitterly cold; none of the Thames Valley grey that we hate so much. We retreat to UK when the summer heat gets going, and do the gardening, visit friends, relatives etc. We almost bought in a small hamlet a little further north, and how wrong it would have been for us; I suspect we would also have moved on fairly soon; beautiful house and area, but not many amenities.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Other way round for me.  Found a perfectly OK house in a town, not in the centre, but in a nice part of town with hospital practically next door, recreational facilities opposite, only one neighbour, private garden, etc.

But, when it came to it, I couldn't bear the thought of living in a town!  Strange that because I WANTED to live in a town.

Anyway, admittedly with some encouragement from Wooly, I looked elsewhere.  Have now found a place in a little hamlet, a lot further north than I thought I'd want to go but, the weird thing is, I felt very at home in the house and in the 2 small villages that it's between.

I think it might have been different if we didn't have the dog but I remembered the times I used to walk the dog with poo bags always in my pockets and it's just so much pleasanter in the countryside where you are not stepping on other people's dogs' poo and not having to pick up your own dog's!

LOL, how priorities change..........[:D]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...