All told, the capital of the Côte d’Azur has 41 different neighbourhoods. Despite this fragmentation, the locals always talk about the town’s three cardinal points, North, East and West, (the South being occupied by the Mediterranean). They all have their own facilities, specific characteristics, even their own souls. Between Magnan and the plain of the Var, the hills and the Deep Blue Sea, Nice West is certainly not lacking in attractions.

Nice West is comprised of a portion of Territory 1 (Saint-Augustin, Sainte-Marguerite, Les Moulins, Arénas and Bellet), part of Territory 2 and all of Territory 8 (La Madeleine, Magnan, La Californie, Fabron, Canta-Galet, Ventabrun, Carras, Ferber, La Lanterne and La Corniche Fleurie). It accommodates 106,000 people.

Géraldine Roux of the Endersen agency mainly covers the hills of Nice, above Boulevard Napoléon III, an area split into micro-markets. Generally speaking, Napoléon III, Fabron and Lanterne offer good-quality apartment buildings with parks, swimming pools and tennis courts, priced from 4,000 to 5,500 €/m2. Their advantages include terraces, private gardens and views of the sea. Local workers rub shoulders with young retirees from outside the region and second home-owners, of whom Scandinavians topped the list in 2011. They all appreciate the closeness of the airport, motorways, the expressway to the city centre, shops and amenities, not forgetting schools (the international school on Route Nationale 202 has long been very popular). Given all these assets, this highly prized area offers coherent value for money, though an effort on the part of sellers to lower their prices a little would no doubt boost market activity. Further out, the Corniche Fleurie is one step down the ladder, mostly because one of its sides overlooks the airport runways and the plain of the Var, a less appealing view. Sainte-Marguerite is characterized by a more mixed population and a wider choice of housing. Yet the top end of this market ranges from 3,500 to 4,500 €/m2, depending on appointments. Over the past year, local workers have found it very hard to find accommodation, notably due to shorter mortagages and thus higher monthly repayments. As for foreign buyers, they are less numerous than in the past.

Florent Cocino of Europe Immobilier, responsible for four agencies in the Alpes-Maritimes including three in the west, centre and eastern parts of Nice, is not too keen on arbitrary partitioning of an area, nor on overly rigid price averages. By way of example, the Arcadia and Constellations residences can attain 6,000 €/m2 in the case of penthouses, whereas starting prices in more basic apartment buildings on the same Boulevard Napoléon III are around 4,000 €/m2. The most modest 2 bedroom apartment costs 270,000 €, and choice at this level is apparently limited. Florent Cocino agrees with Géraldine Roux when it comes to placing arguments in favour of Nice West into perspective with regard to the prices posted. A price-tag of 4,000-4,500 €/m2 in fact implies an “exterior” (terrace or garden) worthy of the name, a garage and often a view of the sea. The same price in the centre will not bring the same amenities. The only fly in the ointment is that one is obliged to use a car to reach one’s workplace or the heart of Nice, a disadvantage off-set by the less urban and more airy setting. It’s hard to compare this side of town with the hills to the east, traditionally more highly sought-after. For example, a top-floor apartment of 155 m2, prolonged by a terrace of the same surface area, has just left the agency’s files for 850,000 €, whereas a similar property on the famous Mont-Boron is likely to cost 1.5 million euros. Nice’s economic activities are naturally oriented towards the west side of town, which hosts administrative centres, the airport, the office buildings of L’Arénas and those lining the RN 202, as well as the industrial zone of Carros. The future “eco-valley”, currently undergoing planning to take its place in the plain of the Var, will inevitably confirm the trend.

“The lower end of the west side of Nice is also highly contrasted,” adds Serge Silvia of Côt’Ouest Immobilier. “The Promenade des Anglais inevitably tops the popularity polls. The portion between Lenval and Carras, priced around 6,000 €/m2, offers an unimpeded view of the Mediterranean. For that bonus, foreigners are willing to accept noise from traffic.” Just behind, La Californie is just completing its facelift. Buyers who can’t afford to treat themselves to a seafront apartment readily fall back on this avenue lined with shops, a stone’s throw from the beaches, pegged at 4,000 €/m2. The arrival of the east-west line of the tramway could open up new prospects for this address. As for Saint-Augustin, it is still within the reach of local workers and first-time buyers, capable of paying 3,000 €/m2. A special mention should be made of the small avenues offered by Carras, definitely a pleasant place to live. The appeal of the hills can also be explained by the presence of villas, a bouyant market segment, ranging from 600,000 to 1 million euros. Among his most recent sales, Serge Silvia mentions a house of 120 m2, only four years old, in a garden of 600 m2 with a pool, over towards Saint-Antoine, which found a taker at 820,000 €.