The nouveaux Riches: Rue des Riches Claires

When you’re standing on Place Saint-Géry in the city centre, with its busy bars and terraces, it’s hard to imagine that thousands of years ago it was an island surrounded by the River Senne. The area was named by the French Duke Charles of Lower Lotharingia, who, in 979 AD, built a chapel on the island devoted to Saint Gaugericus, known as Saint Géry in French (and Sint Gorik in Dutch). In the 19th century, the river was covered and the church that stood in the middle of the Grand Ile was replaced by the halles you see today. The Halles Saint-Géry were inaugurated in 1882 and housed an indoor market, which closed in 1977. By then, the area was considered quite dodgy: it took about 20 years, and a couple of brave pioneers, for it to become the bustling melting pot it is today.

Attracted by the area’s liveliness, Aloys Clavie, 33, opened his streetwear shop Goodvib’s in the neighbouring Rue des Riches Claires three years ago. “I wanted to run my own shop before hitting 30,” he says. “As a teenager, I often came shopping at a skate shop in this area, so when I saw there was a shop for rent, it felt like the right place to settle down.” In Goodvib’s, Aloys sells casual clothing in different styles. “There’s something here for everyone, just like this area. In Rue des Riches Claires, for example, you’ll find a new Art Deco shop called Le Riche Clair (at number 17), as well as gay-friendly nightclub Nation (7), coffee bar Moka (5) and vintage shop Foxhole (4), where they sell on-trend second-hand clothing.”

Saint-Géry is most famous for the many bars in and around the square. Take the old market hall, for instance. This building in neo-Renaissance style is listed and functions as an information and exhibition centre (www.hallessaintgery.be), but it also has a popular cafe and a basement club. “You can often find me on the square for a drink, but I don’t really have a favourite bar,” Aloys says. “I usually go where my friends are, or, more importantly, where there are seats.” If Zebra (33 Place Saint-Géry), Le Roi des Belges (35 Rue Jules Van Praet) and Mappa Mundo (2-6 Rue du Pont de la Carpe) are packed, the chances are you’ll find a spot at Café Central (14 Rue Borgval) or Gecko (16 Place Saint-Géry).

“Closer to my shop, Booze ’n’ Blues (20 Rue des Riches Claires) is a great bar, with an old jukebox as one of its main assets. I recommend Coaster (28 Rue des Riches Claires) for cocktails and dance music, or Java (22 Rue de la Grande Ile) for an older and more diverse crowd.”

You won’t have to look far for a bite to eat, either. On your way to Place Saint-Géry, you’ll notice a lot of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. “I love the vermicelles à la citronelle at Rêves d’Asie (19 Rue Jules Van Praet),” Aloys says. “They always have nice lunch deals as well.” Another restaurant he suggests is Bar à Tapas (11 Rue Borgval), or the more expensive French cuisine at Bonsoir Clara (22 Rue Antoine Dansaert). But don’t worry if you’ve found a nice spot at a bar and don’t want to leave: most of them serve food, from sandwiches to pasta dishes.

With its many bars and restaurants, Saint-Géry is always busy. While reading your newspaper on a terrace with a cup of coffee is no problem before lunch, the square gets busy from the afternoon onwards. There’s music in nearly every bar, and on some evenings and most weekends DJs and live bands fill the area with extra decibels. “The most musical place must be Doctor Vinyl, (1 Rue de la Grande Ile),” Aloys says. “This record store has a great selection of genres, and I’m a musical omnivore: reggae, house, jazz – I like it as long as I can dance to it!”

And while it might seem impossible to find silence in this part of town, there is a spot where all the noise seems miles away. Walk through the gate on the left from the now-closed Brasserie Le Lion d’Or (22 Place Saint-Géry) and travel back in time. You’ll even see some water running, a reminder of how the Senne would have looked.

Essential info

Property

Mainly townhouses, split into flats or duplexes. A two-bedroom apartment costs about €900 a month, while property to buy starts at €2,500 per square metre, according to Immoweb

Public transport

Finding a parking spot in the area can take ages, but being right in the centre of town means this is one of the best-served areas in Brussels for public transport. There are buses (48, 95, N16, N18), trams (3, 4) and a taxi stand nearby

Meet the neighbours

A diverse mix of young and older people, from all social and cultural backgrounds

In & around Rue des Riches Claires

Doctor Vinyl

This record shop has just about every genre covered. 1 Rue de la Grande Ile

Booze ’n’ Blues

The old jukebox is the main attraction at this bar. 20 Rue des Riches Claires

Moka

The best coffee in Brussels? Its loyal clientele thinks so. 5 Rue des Riches Claires

Foxhole

Affordable vintage fashion. 4 Rue des Riches Claires

Halles Saint-Géry

Neo-Renaissance market hall turned exhibition centre and night spot. 1 Place Saint-Géry

Aloys says: “The area really is a meeting point of styles, people and activities. There’s always something going on. Too bad the little streets are packed with parked or moving cars. It would be good to see some car-free roads, and if the pavements could get a makeover too, the area would look a lot better.”

All photos by Natalie Hill