Apartments and Villas for sale in Nice

With areas including the Quartier Musiciens, Avenue Jean Medecin, Rue Gioffredo and Place Massena, Central Nice is home to the properties with the best investment potential in Nice.

The Nice urban tramway project, scheduled for completion in 2007, is likely to give a major boost to the city, further enhancing an already superb public transport system. The tram will run from Place Massena to the hills of Nice, running on three separate lines. The well-planned routes and the environmentally friendly nature of the transport type, not forgetting the attractive designs, will be a useful addition to the city. The tram will affect property prices in a number of ways. Choosing the best apartment location to take full advantage of this will require expert knowledge of the local market.

Avenue Jean Medecin

This grand avenue, named after the city’s most successful mayor, is the main street in Nice. It runs from Place Massena to the train station and is filled with a variety of shops, Brasseries and restaurants.

From Galeries Lafayette (the world famous department store) to Nice Etoile (a huge shopping centre), Avenue Jean Medecin is a shopper’s paradise. Adding to this there are a number of side-streets with yet more shops where some of the best bargains in Nice are to be had.

The Notre-Dame church, built in 1864, is the largest church in Nice. It is the oldest of the modern religious structures erected in the heart of the new town after Nice once again became part of France in 1860. Less than 5 minutes from here is the only English language bookshop in town, which is both a general bookstore and the best place to buy history books and guide books of a local nature.

Jean Medecin himself, born in 1890, was the longest serving mayor in Nice‘s history, serving a total of 34 years in two terms. Primarily remembered for his fierce opposition to Charles de Gaulle, he ran in numerous presidential elections before his death in office. He is seen as the city’s greatest mayor, and the naming of one of the busiest streets in Nice after him is testament to the admiration he still receives.

Residential property on Jean Medecin is scarce, due to the large amount of commercial premises located there. With the demand associated with being on one of the largest streets in the city, and supply limited, prices have risen considerably over the last few years.

The Nice urban tramway will run straight down Avenue Jean Medecin, from Place Massena all the way to the outer hills of Nice. Previous studies indicate that property located on the route of similar urban tramway projects in France experience a significant increase in value with their completion. The project, due to the unsightly nature of the construction works, is putting off French buyers, depressing prices in the short-term. However, longsighted investors should give consideration to buying in these areas. The tramway project, coupled with high rental demand, give this area considerable investment potential.

Transport links on this avenue are second to none, with the main train station at the end of the street and the main bus station no more than 10 minutes away. High rental income is a useful addition to an already sound investment decision.

Quartiers Musiciens

Situated between the bustling Avenue Jean Medecin and the ever-fashionable Carre D’Or, the Quartier Musiciens is well located and perfect for those who want a stylish residential quarter without the associated high prices.

Named after famous musicians, such as Mozart and Verdi, this area is suburban heaven. The buildings display very similar characteristics to the nearby belle epoque, bourgeois and art-deco style Carre D’Or. Large windows and wooden floors are to be found in many of the apartments here. A more subtle type of wealthy resident, such as the eloquent French retiree, dwells in this quarter.

There is an abundance of beautiful parks in this area, such as the fabulous Parc d’Alsace-Lorraine on the western fringes of the quarter. Apart from some excellent restaurants, nightlife is scarce. This area is strictly for those who want a quieter neighbourhood.

Although similar in ways to the Carre D’Or, the Quartier Musiciens gives greater size for your money. Apartments tend to be large, a testament to the general affluence of the area when it was constructed in the 1920s and 1930s.

This area is perfect for those who want central locations, beautiful and quiet surroundings and less extravagant prices. Unique, belle-epoque apartments, while plentiful in this area, are relatively few in the city as a whole. This area is good for long-term capital appreciation investments.

Rue Gioffredo

The area surrounding Rue Gioffredo is one of the areas with the best investment potential in Nice. This street runs from Place Massena to the southern fringes of bourgeois Cimiez. The main bus station is no more than five to ten minutes from any area and that station is about 100 metres from Old Nice.

Among the many designer furniture stores in this area are very few foreign owned apartments. This area is almost exclusively French and hardly any properties come on the market in a year; those that do, tend to be snapped-up very fast. It is not uncommon for properties to be passed from generation-to-generation in the one family.

Rue Gioffredo contains a lot of educational buildings, from French language schools for foreigners to IPAG Business School for French and Foreigners alike.

Avenue Felix Faures is the most chic and modern street in this area. Lined with classy French bars and restaurants, this is where the local French go to see and be seen.

The renowned Museum of Contemporary Art houses some of the world’s most famous contemporary art pieces in a uniquely designed museum. A large garden in front of the adjacent library is the backdrop for one of the most unusual art pieces in Nice – a four storey building in the shape of a woman’s neck and head. Truly spectacular, this has to be seen.

The Acropolis, a grand, roman-style conference centre is host to the Riviera’s most important professional events. The front of this building is blessed with beautiful fountains.