Nice, France

Nice (pronounced [nis]) is a commune in southeastern France, prefecture of Alpes-Maritimes and the second largest city in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur behind Marseille. Located at the southeast corner of France, about thirty kilometers from the Italian border, it is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, along the Bay of Angels and the mouth of the Paillon.

With 343,629 inhabitants in the last census of 2012 (347,105 in December 20121), it is the fifth largest city in France in population (after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse). Its metropolitan area is the fifth in France (after Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Lille) and comprises 941,490 inhabitants (2009) 2. It is located in the heart of the seventh urban area in France, with 1,003,947 inhabitants in 2011. The city is the center of a metropolis, Nice Côte d'Azur3 which brings together forty five towns and about 530 000 in 20094. the population of the Scot of Nice (territorial coherence plan), created in 2003 and grouping twenty-nine municipalities is estimated at 517,500 inhabitants in 20,055.

Located between sea and mountains, economic capital of the French Riviera, Nice enjoys important natural assets. Tourism, trade and government (public or private) play an important role in the economy of the city. It has the second largest hotel capacity country6 and every year 4 million touristes7. It also has the third airport France8,9 and two convention center dedicated to business tourism. The city also has a university and several business districts. Nice finally has some important cultural facilities. It thus has several museums, a national theater, an opera, a regional library vocation, a regional radiation conservatory and concert halls.

Historical capital of the County of Nice, it belonged to Provence before joining the Savoy States in 1388, thus part of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1720, one of the pre-unitary Italian States. Nice does finally became French in 1860. Its inhabitants are called the "Nice" or "Niçoises."

The climate of the city meets the standards of méditerranéen13 subtropical climate like in Menton with moisture in the air of importance, from the hills, and maximum annual temperatures close to 20 ° C. The gels are very rare (1.4 night a year from 1981 to 2010), it is no wonder they are absent in some years (such as 2013, 2011, 2008, 2007, 2006, etc. 14) and low and brief when they occur, making it a very pronounced characteristic of the Mediterranean climate in this part of the coast. And winters are mild and wet, and hot, dry summers, because the city is protected from the winds from the north and west through the Alps. During the summer, the temperature ranges are also slightly marked regularly with very mild or warm nights (over 20-22 ° C), rainfall is extremely low, with an average of 21.4 mm per month from June to August . Conversely, autumn is a time subject to heavy rainfall with 103.3 mm average per month from September to November and sometimes violent storms due to the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea still very hot this season (20 ° C - 24 ° C). This period was also marked by the presence in some years the European. In addition to providing a slight wave of heat, wind carries the Saharan sand and subtropical cyclone forming on the phenomena called medicane sea.

The Weather Station is four meters high, at the airport of Nice-Côte d'Azur (latitude 43 ° 39'00 "N longitude 07 ° 12'00" E15); It is 6 km southwest of the center of Nice by road.

Commuting in Nice are very important and difficult. An estimated 310,000 people in and out of the city every jour19. However, urban transport is not satisfactory. The road network is saturated and topography makes difficiles26 crosslinks.

A tram line connecting the northern and eastern districts to the city center was opened in 2007 to partially relieve the city. A second line, east to west, to be opened in 2017 in order to reduce traffic on the Promenade des Anglais. But this route is strongly contested by some of the population27 and the municipal opposition which offers an alternative route on California Avenue by allowing them to reach more people and be more convenient for the line is active supposed to carry. Nice today has only one tram line (Strasbourg has six, Montpellier four, four Grenoble, Bordeaux three). The city is paradoxically better connected to Paris (one hour and a half plane) in Marseille and Genoa (two hours by train) 26, which hinders its dynamism and attractiveness.

A TGV line would connect Nice to Paris via Marseille and Toulon, about 2023.

security

View of a courthouse with pediment and columns.

Nice courthouse

View of a white van municipal police 2000s parked at the foot of arcades overlooking a square.

Vehicle of the Nice municipal police

The level of crime in Nice is almost the same as throughout the Alpes-Maritimes department, and therefore appears very high. Thus, the 2005 crime rate in the department, that is to say the number of offenses per 1 000 population reached 107.8 making it the 95th department of mainland France, the less sure about 96117. The rate Nice of violence among the highest of major cities in France with 11.17 facts per 1 000 in 2007 to a national average of 5.93118, making him then occupy the 25th place in the ranking of the 400 French cities of more than 20 000 most violentes118,119 inhabitants. In 2008, Nice has the largest crime rate among the French cities of more than 250,000 habitants120.

However, the current trend is improving, according to some local media. In 2007, security appears to have improved significantly in Nice in comparison with previous years. General delinquency, however, decreased less in Nice in the entire department (-4.5% against 6% for the Alps-Maritimes121). Crimes and offenses on public roads nevertheless declined by 11.6%: Flights to the trailer has dropped by 24%, armed robberies by 30%, robberies at the door of 58%, with flights 15% violence, pickpocketing 5% and 10% 121 burglaries. However, road safety has deteriorated. The number of fatal accidents has doubled in 2007 compared to 2006. 40% of them occurred on the Promenade des Anglais, in the tunnel of Spangle or penetrating the Paillon121.

Since 2009, the municipality has established an important video program, making the most of Nice equipped French city public cameras relative to the number of habitants122,123.

In 2011, Nice city police has over 380 agents124.

Cafes, old palaces and hotels

Several institutions related to the tourism history of the city existed since the nineteenth century and are still operated more or less transformed.

Coffee Turin, located Piazza Garibaldi, is one of the most famous cafes in the city. Founded in the nineteenth century, it was originally a meeting place for piémontais151 immigrants. The Auer pastry, rue Saint-François-de-Paule, opened in 1860, reflecting the Rococo style, very fashionable this époque149. The Trappa, Malonat Street, founded in 1886, was originally a pêcheurs152 restaurant.

Front view of a coffee with a green awning that says fired white "Café de Turin" in capital letters.

Coffee Turin on the Garibaldi Square.

Hotel properties, due to the growth of tourism in the second half of the nineteenth century is considerable, many institutions including having been built in the Belle Époque. Palaces are gone (usually converted into residential condominiums), but several large hotels have been restored and modernized in the second half of the twentieth century.

The former Regina Hotel was built on the hill of Cimiez in 1896 by architect Sébastien Marcel Biasini Nice. The iron crown forged his left wing was carried out according to the plans of François-Félix Gordolon. The gigantic Regina, which had 400 rooms and suites, housed Queen Victoria, his little court and overstaffing (sovereign, loving Nice since 1895, attended its opening in 1897). Converted into private apartments in the 1930s, it was inhabited by Henri Matisse153.

Former Alhambra Hotel, on Boulevard de Cimiez, was built in 1900 by Jules-Joseph Sioly. This architect, also known for the Palace Lamartine the pomp Second Empire (Lamartine Street), delivered by one of the few examples of Nice Art mauresque154 style. It has also been transformed into residential residence.

View of the carved white facade of a palace on which stand large windows on the first floor.

The palace of the Mediterranean on the Promenade des Anglais.

Several major hotel establishments were built along the Promenade des Anglais. The West End Hotel, originally Hotel Rome, was built in 1842 by English aristocrats. Enlarged and embellished later, it is the oldest of the major hotels in Parkway Anglais155. Nearby is the Hotel Westminster since 1878 and pâle156 pink facade.

View against-night dive off a palace which electrified uppercase seen "Le Negresco".

Facade of the Hotel Negresco.

Not far away, the Negresco was built in 1912 by Édouard Niermans by the former cook and butler Romanian Henri Negresco, as financed by wealthy gourmets, customers, when exercising the Grand Circle of Nice . The exterior style is neo-Louis XVI. The interior is largely style "late Second Empire." His noble part, renovated by Paul and Jeanne Augier, is classified (facades) inventory of historical monuments since 1975157.

Jeanne Augier ("the Lady of the Negresco") successfully for almost 60 years, to make the hotel a museum which combines works by Largillière, François Boucher, Raymond Moretti, René Gruau, Cyril Patellière, etc.

The palace of the Mediterranean, also on the Promenade des Anglais, was built in 1927-1928 by Charles and Marcel Dalmas158. Its facade is decorated with female figures and sea horses carved by Antoine Sartorio159. The complex, which housed a casino and a theater, opened in 1929160. victim to financial difficulties, he closed in 1978161. The Art Deco façade was saved in extremis from demolition in 1990. A decade later, the building is rebuilt. It was inaugurated in January 2004 and now includes a luxury hotel, a casino and an en spectacle161, preserved original façade.

Apart from the Promenade des Anglais, among the luxury hotels, there is the Boscolo Exedra Nice, formerly named "Atlantic", located Boulevard Victor Hugo. Built in 1913 by Charles Dalmas touch of a Swiss hotel, its facade style Belle Époque162. Resumed in 2000 by the Italian hotel chain Boscolo, it was completely renovated in 2005 to 2,008,163.