This Nice neighbourhood par excellence, nestling between the green corridor and Boulevard Carabacel, is rapidly gaining the attention of new buyers and investors.
For some years, and especially since the Wilson Plaza luxury real estate development, the Wilson district with its square and listed Post Office dating from 1888, has not stopped appreciating. This unprecedented Nice scheme was granted permission by Bâtiments de France in 2014 whereby this neoclassical-style building was modified by raising the 1,000 m2 roof and adding two floors, creating seven rooftop villas and crystalline glass canopies covering 300 m2 of terraces. The duplex apartments were sold at Paris prices of around €11,000/m2 between 2016 and 2018.
In addition to this unprecedented project, the creation of the green corridor to the east of the district and most recently the Durandy underground tram station to the west - after five years of monumental work – together with the renovation of the Romain Gary library (on the Carabacel side) have "boosted" real estate prices in the area. Leading ultimately to the roads and pavements being modernised and the area restored to its former glory. It needs to be said that this area is very commercial, especially Rue Gubernatis, with, for example, 2-star Michelin restaurant Flaveur, Les Epicuriens with its sunny terrace, gay-friendly La Cave Wilson and La Part des Anges, recently promoted to wine cellar of the year by La Revue du Vin de France. We should also mention interiors stores and boutiques such as Ressource, Début de Siècle, Le Géant des Beaux-Arts and the age-old Maison Franco on Rue Pastorelli, which was founded in 1900 and has seen the likes of Renoir, Soutine, Picasso, Matisse and Chagall pass through its doors. This mix of art and gastronomy plus the presence of numerous liberal professions make this area a Nice-centre location that is increasingly finding favour with property buyers.
Director of Nice Properties Michael Fusaro does not disagree. He invested in rental properties in the Wilson district 8 years ago and has never experienced a glitch. He recently sold a 40 m2 1 bedroom apartment for €290,000 or €7,250/m2. Nicolas Ghisoni, from Gubernatis Immobilier, also confirms the healthy state of the sector with examples of sales that make the Golden Square pale in colour: "we sold a 92m2 3 bedroom apartment in Rue Gioffredo in need of total renovation at the end of 2019 for €520,000, a renovated 47m2 1 bedroom apartment in an old building in Rue Hôtel des Postes for €310,000 and a 45 m2 1 bedroom apartment in mint condition with a terrace in a recent building on Rue Gubernatis in February 2020 for more than €400,000 on the first visit!’’
Par Laurent Merengone
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