Nice Port is a lively residential district built around the harbour, with luxury yachts, local restaurants and distinct pockets ranging from waterfront façades to the Antiques Quarter and Franck Pilatte.
Character: local, maritime and varied street by street
Property: historic harbour buildings, city apartments and sea-view residences
Buyer appeal: boating, waterfront views and the Garibaldi–Bonaparte quarter
Who this area suits
Buyers attracted to harbour life, local restaurants and the more individual character of eastern Nice—provided they choose the correct side and section of the Port for their priorities.
The map provides context for Port Lympia, Place Garibaldi, Castle Hill, Franck Pilatte and the approach to Mont Boron.
About the Port
The Port of Nice hosts some of the world’s finest luxury yachts. A lively residential district, popular with expats, it has a very local feel.
The Port area has been pushed as an "up and coming area" for the past couple of decades, though it never really seems to up and come. The factors include geographical and the physical layout of the area. Parts are certainly improved, and parts especially Rue Bonaparte between Place Garibaldi and Place des Pins have become downright trendy.
The Port area divides into four areas. The first is the facade of the Port itself, where windows face onto the boats. The second is to the west of the Port between the harbour and the castle hill dividing it from the Old Town. The third is the eastern side called Franck Pilatte which hosts the ferry port that goes to Corsica. The last is the northern side which stretches from the top of the harbour where the imposing church sits up toward Rue Bonaparte.
Overlooking the Port
The facade looking onto the Port itself is very in demand, and can be even more expensive than the Promenade with prices reaching up to €15,000/sqm. An apartment should have a clear unobstructed view of the port if possible. This property will rent very well, though the challenge is to find the right priced property to give an acceptable yield. It is also perfect for boat enthusiasts, with many of the world’s most famous super-yachts often moored there.
The most desirable front is the western side due to its easy proximity to the Old Town, the Place Garibaldi with its two tram stations serving the shopping and the airport, and the city centre is also a short walk. The views are east facing so sunny in the morning. The buildings here are over a century old and half of them still do not have lifts, something to check before arranging a viewing.
The north side of the harbour is dominated by two large historic looking buildings either side of the church. These are quite modern inside with lift. Most properties that come up for sale here are not on the Port side with sea view. There are no balconies on these buildings, but the windows are large so have great views.
On the east side you get nice views across the port and most importantly a stunning sunset every evening. However it is a long walk around making it quite isolated, and it lacks the same variety of shops and restaurants. This is the least popular side in terms of holiday homes and for rental.
Antiques Quarter
The Antiques Quarter lies between the Port and the Old Town. A short-ish walk around the cap to the Promenade des Anglais, the buildings share a similar charm to the Old Town properties that make them desirable. It is also a short walk to the now popular Place Garibaldi. This area is almost its own village.
The square of Place Garibaldi has been beautifully redone, and the buildings impeccably restored. Anything around this now popular square has become desirable.
Key roads:
Rue Cassini - the main road linking Place Garibaldi to the harbour and the eastern border of the Antiques Quarter. Quite a busy street but apartments can also face out of the rear side of the building and be very quiet.
Rue Segurane - very nice road full of antiques shops that looks onto the castle hill. Just opposite is the La Providence complex, the only new build in the Old Town which also has underground parking.
Rue Forresta - the continuation of the Rue Segurane and runs all the way to the cap which hosts some of the most beautiful views in Nice, along with the iconic "I love Nice" statue in the national colours. This is a desirable road and apartments often have a balcony and slices of harbour and sea views in between the buildings.
Franck Pilatte
This area has not changed in decades and for the people that like the area this is a good thing. Large sweeping apartment complexes with terraces and panoramic sea views, this has traditionally been the most expensive part of Nice.
Sitting to the east of the harbour and below the hill of Mont Boron, this is a purely residential area. The disadvantage of the area is that is a long way from everywhere. For the people that live there, the advantage of the area is that it is a long way from everyone. A chic retreat for the well heeled.
Expect starting prices around €750,000 and a good sized two bedroom apartment to be over €1m.
The trendy district
Though the Port north of the harbour may not have changed physically, the ambiance certainly has. This has a lot to do with the explosion in trendy bars in the gay-friendly strip along Rue Bonaparte between Place Garibaldi and Place des Pins. Full of cool bars and restaurants it is busy from lunch until after dark.
This has pushed up property prices in the street and has a halo effect around a block either side. Stray further and you are back to the congested Port area with average buildings. It is not a bad area but it does not have anything to recommend it over areas that are more central and have better access to places like the pedestrian areas and the beaches. Generally buyers like to spend time, but not necessarily live, here.
Key roads:
Rue Bonaparte - the most desirable road... up to a point. Sought after between Place Garibaldi and Place de Pins, the desirability quickly wanes and it is far less popular at the noisy Place Max Barel end.
Rue Barla - at the north end of what many would consider the Port area, this is one of the noisiest and most congested roads in Nice. Property in this street is practically unsellable.
Rue Lascaris / Rue Fodere - two very similar roads parallel with each other, busy and crammed with on street parking often double parked. There are plenty of chic bars and restaurants here. Less desirable at the Rue Arson end of the street.
Rue Francois Guisol / Rue Emmanuel Philibert / Rue Martin Seytour - three of the quieter north-south roads and probably the most desirable if the Port area is where you want to buy
Rue Arson - the eastern border of the Port area and a busy street that is not seen as desirable. It does not help that the emergency services tend to put their sirens on here as they race into the Port area.
Talk through a Nice Port shortlist with Phillip Temple
This is only a guide. For real expert advice please contact Phillip Temple using the button below. He will be happy to give you a free consultation and set you on the path to a successful purchase in Nice.
