ST ETIENNE, FRANCE | By a Stéphanoise: a big thread

[olga]

Thanks for this tour! The city looks really nice. I like the beautiful old houses, the narrow streets and the trams. The redevelopment of the old factory sounds like a very interesting project.

[Sandy]

Thanks everyone, your comments encourage me to post new photos and especially the brand new Casino group headquarters (1st supermarket chain), I'll take pictures this weekend if weather permits.

Here's a small preview:

[Sandy]

Here is some new pics of an area which will become "Châteaucreux business district" if companies and investors come as expected

In front of the railroad station, Casino group world headquaters has just moved their office from 2 blocks behind, to this large building,
I'm not really fan of it, too long, not enough high, to much concrete, looks a bit like a bunker for me, but most of Stéphanois are very pround of this building
and love it, so make your own opinion :

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And just in front, there's the railroad station which looks nice with its new place:

34. First the TGV (high speed train) the French pride:



35. A tram and railroad station in the background



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38. Pano scroll -------------------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>> Scroll ----------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>--------------------------------



38. The end

[SuburbanNation]

what a nice, intimate city!

[Border City Boy]

J'aime beacoup la gare Chateaucreux! Merci.

[EastSideHBG]

Wow, wonderful pics!

What's with the patches of grass in the train tracks? Kind of neat looking, but it seems like it would be a lot of upkeep...

[Evergrey]

thank you for the wonderful weaponry!

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Wow, wonderful pics!

What's with the patches of grass in the train tracks? Kind of neat looking, but it seems like it would be a lot of upkeep...

Yes, the grass in tracks is a package!! it goes with the tram, each city that have a tram in France and probably elsewhere in Europ, has the grass too!! I'm joking but it could be that (Bordeaux, Paris, Grenoble...)

And yes, it's a lot of upkeep, most of cities don't maintain it, so we've got a lot of mud in winter and yellow grass in summer! should be better to use synthetic grass

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by Sandy

And yes, it's a lot of upkeep, most of cities don't maintain it, so we've got a lot of mud in winter and yellow grass in summer! should be better to use synthetic grass

Ew, yeah, for sure! If you aren't going to take care of the real grass it is not worth having!

[nicolew100]

Wow your city hall looks like my city's old one (somewhat).

New Orleans Cabildo:

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by nicolew100

Wow your city hall looks like my city's old one (somewhat).

Yes , it's the same general look, probabely due to the windows which seem to be the same, and arcades too.

[Sandy]

Ok, lets continue the tour, now with the construction of a new music hall, called a Zénith, this name is a registered trademark, the 1st one was constructed during 80's in Paris, now there's about a dozen Zénith in France, each has different look.
Our, designed by Foster will open on October 2008, here some rendering:

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(http://www.zenith-saint-etienne-metropole.fr/ & http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Pro...9/Default.aspx)

This auditorium could be configured for an audience from 1100 to 7200, small but it seems that's enough for french artists
(fortunatly we have the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium with its 35000 capacity which will received for the 1st time in the stadium history, something else than soccer games, ----> Police is coming next June )

Here's a view of the site at the end of January 08:

45. Front side



And here a few pics taken a month later:

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56. Back side

[Minato Ku]

Nice. Can we have picture of the center but the saturday afternoons ?
(when it is really active.)

[Sandy]

Sure, with pleasure next time the weather will permit, I'll take some new ones, I've already planned to take new shots, but waiting for higher temperatures to show all cafes and restaurants' terraces.
Till that day, here's some taken on a Wednesday afternoon around the Grand' Rue , look less than a ghost town!!

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67. Homeless here too

[Sandy]

Some new panorama:

68. Place Chavanelle ------------------------------------------------>>>>>SCROLL--------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>--------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>-----------------------------



69. Hills around the city -------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SCROLL---------------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>---------------------------------------------------------



70. Cité du Design: work still in progress



71. Taken exactly on the opposite of my 1st pano on 1st page, if you look just above the top of the church, I was near the white building in the trees: la Maison de la Culture.

[Minato Ku]

Is the population of St Etienne is ethnically diverse ?

[staff]

Nice updates. Keep them coming!

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by Minato Ku

Is the population of St Etienne is ethnically diverse ?

A very big majority is white French since many generations, not many Black, few Asian people, but we have some people with Maghrebian origin (Moroco, Algeria) whom grand parents came in France to work in the industries, I don't know the exact proportion, I guess near 7%, as the average in France.

[AJphx]

Nice city, I like the old factory buildings. Is FAMAS still there?

also, I guess this is a good place to ask something I have been wondering. What is the difference between Etienne and Stephane? From my understanding, they are both the name Stephen in English. Are they just alternate forms, or am I wrong about that and there is a difference?

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by AJphx

Nice city, I like the old factory buildings. Is FAMAS still there?

also, I guess this is a good place to ask something I have been wondering. What is the difference between Etienne and Stephane? From my understanding, they are both the name Stephen in English. Are they just alternate forms, or am I wrong about that and there is a difference?

No the FAMAS is not manufactured here anymore, the buildings are being renovated to become the citée du Design, a place with a Design school and the Fine Arts School will be moved there.

As concerns Stéphane and Etienne, you're right these 2 first names have the same origin: Stephanos in Greek, it means "crowned. (Esteban has the same meaning too)

Thanks for your interest