Sunny, vibrant Bordeaux city offers a laid-back lifestyle within easy reach of glorious coastal towns and beautiful countryside with excellent transport links.
Bordeaux is a magnet for tourists drawn to its top-class museums, including the renowned Cité du Vin, and glorious architecture. It has the largest urban area listed on the UNESCO world heritage encompassing some 1810 hectares. The Port of the Moon, once the main port for shipping wine from Bordeaux, has been regenerated and former warehouses transformed into shops, bars and restaurants. The quaysides are busy with runners, cyclists and walkers and families splashing in the Miroir d’Eau, a water sculpture in front of the impressive Place de la Bourse.
Green and accessible
Alongside this, the city has numerous green spaces and is teeming with smart shops and chic restaurants. Plus it’s a family-friendly city with excellent private and public schooling with an increasing offer for classes taught in English.
Trains to Paris take around two hours, and there’s also an international airport as well as excellent auto route links.
Properties here are popular with the French and with international buyers. American Brad Turner who works for Leggett Immobillier’s Bordeaux based agency says “Knowing where to look is the key to finding your dream home. Especially if you want a traditional style property like wood floors and high ceilings – but with modern facilities such as air conditioning and a great fitted kitchen! There are lots of different property styles, multiple neighbourhoods that are quite distinctive within the city and a great choice in villages and towns no more than 50km away from the city centre and increasingly accessible by public transport. Even the airport is now only 25 minutes away on the newly opened tram line A making Bordeaux the perfect place for second homeowners – no need to keep a car here.”
Village vibes
The Fondaudege and Chartrons neighbourhoods have been rejuvenated thanks to tram service access and renovation, and despite being in the centre of the city, still retain a villagey-vibe. Recently there has been development in several central areas, for instance the Bassins à Flots area, home to the newly opened Bassin des Lumières art venue. Popular with young people, the area offers excellent investment opportunities with new apartments, shops and bars and several companies have opened workspaces. The area behind Bordeaux-Saint-Jean train station has also benefited from investment in apartment and office space plus a fabulous new food hall. And on the right bank, the Darwin area overlooking the river is undergoing a renovation.
The Saint-Seurin, Ornano and Saint-Genès are quieter neighbourhoods, long popular with families with all the benefits of the city right on the doorstep. And the residential district of Nansouty which has a large central square, great infrastructure, and is also popular with families wanting more space.
Great for families
Families seeking bigger gardens and proximity to private schooling tend to house hunt around the biggest park in Bordeaux, the Parc Bordelais in the Cauderan area of Bordeaux and neighbouring town Le Bouscat which has a new Tram line. An up-and-coming family area is Bègles which has fantastic local shops, transport and a community atmosphere.
Easy to reach from surrounding area
Increasingly the suburbs and areas further away from the city are becoming more popular, especially with remote workers.
‘Property prices are lower outside the city and in towns and villages up to 50km away, they are as much as 30-50% lower. Many of these areas have excellent road, train and tram connections. We have some fabulous properties in areas surrounding Bordeaux, including the seaside resort of Arcachon, the wine growing area of Medoc, Entre-Deux-Mers and even Landes, all these places have been made accessible with superb transport options” says Brad. “Plus, we offer a bespoke search service for overseas clients looking for properties in Bordeaux and surrounding areas.”
A great choice of property, laid back lifestyle, excellent weather, wine, and access to the coast, with prices about half the price of Paris – welcome to Bordeaux!
Leggett Immobillier will open a new office in Bordeaux, next to the city hall, in October.
Leggett Immobillier Bordeaux Office address: 15 Rue Montbazon, 33000 Bordeaux
Brad Turner’s Bordeaux Property portfolio
Find properties all across France at award winning Leggett Immobillier: frenchestateagents.com
