Quartier Picpus
The Picpus quarter is the 46th administrative district of the city of Paris. It is bordered by the districts of Bercy, Quinze-Vingts and Bel-Air. These four districts form the 12th arrondissement. The Picpus district extends from the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine into the Bois de Vincennes. Its southern limit lies along Rue Charenton and then Avenue de Gravelle.
History
The Picpus quarter takes its name from Rue Picpus and probably from the distortion of the name of the old village “Pique-Puce” which stood here at the time. The tradition of wood craftsmanship specific to the Faubourg Saint-Antoine has left its mark on the district. It is now home to the National Forestry Office and the Higher Institute of Wood. Like the Bel-Air district, it belonged to the commune of Saint-Mandé before being attached to the city of Paris in 1859.
Local landmarks
Despite its strong image as a working-class district, the Picpus district is undergoing rapid gentrification. This makes it a rich and diverse district with many activities, especially as part of the Bois de Vincennes is located there.
The Hippodrome Paris-Vincennes: inaugurated in March 1863, this racecourse located in the Bois de Vincennes is devoted to horse racing, particularly trotting. It also hosted a plethora of musical artists in the 1990s such as Michael Jackson and Elton John.
École Boulle: both a high school for arts and crafts and a college for applied arts, the school is a reminder of the cabinet-making heritage of the Picpus district. It was founded in 1886 and in 1891 took the name of Louis XIV’s famous cabinetmaker, André-Charles Boulle.