“Two things surprised me when I arrived …”

Sixth most populated city in France, Nantes attracts many Parisians and other Ile -de -France residents in search of space and lower prices. While the reputation of the city has been cleared in recent years in the various facts, those who have taken the step of a moving from the capital to the province regrets? We asked Carole, thirty -something having chosen to settle there after “The COVID period, decisive in (SA) decision. “

Originally from Lyon, Carole lived for years at the gates of the capital. So, when choosing with her husband where to move to her “desires elsewhere“, she logically asked herself the question of a homecoming. Finally, it was on Nantes that her choice fell.”We decided that Nantes would be the best compromise because we needed space, a city less agitated than Lyon, the possibility of being by the sea in just 1 hour and especially proximity to our family (her parents-in-law being at Le Mans, 2 hours by car, editor’s note), “she said.

But, not surprisingly, another reason has imposed itself on the couple: “The last decisive criterion was the price of real estate. Being owners of an apartment in the Paris region, we wanted to settle in house. And this would not have been possible in Lyon in view of the exorbitant prices charged even on the outskirts of the city ….“Indeed, to date, as our colleagues of the Figaro Immobilierthe median price of a house in Lyon is € 4,705/m2 while in Nantes it is € 3,901/m2. Enough to offer a larger house, especially when you have two children as is the case with Carole.

Once the choice of the city has been made, Carole was fortunate to be able to leave via a transfer, her company with an antenna in Nantes. And what about his salary? “”My salary dropped very slightly during my transfer, going from 46K to 44K, in return my moving costs were covered by the company. I then left my work shortly after arriving in Nantes by finding a new job better paid than my previous one in the Paris region“She explains, adding that”career possibilities are clearly more limited. “

Today she considers it “live“But alerts those who think that life in the region would be much more profitable:”When I compare my Nantes salary with that of a Parisian, I note considerable differences (of the order of 15-20K) while a restaurant, a cinema, the petrol or even the races are very similar spending positions with the capital… “If she has not gained enormously in purchasing power, she does not regret her choice at all because she won in”space !“”

“”Having a house with a garden has absolutely no price, especially with 2 children. The neighborhood life that I did not know previously, the flexibility of the schedules and be able to leave his work at 5 p.m. without having to justify himself. The living environment is literally softer, quieter“On the other hand, everything is not pink and as a black point, it notably underlines the weakness of transport, especially when you want to move a bit far, for example to go to see friends who live in another region.”A Nantes-Bordeaux takes us for example 4 hours and it is sometimes faster to take the car. There is no train line allowing us to reach other big cities without necessarily having to go back by Paris …“”

Now that she has lived for a few years in Nantes, what assessment draws Carole? “”Two things surprised me when I arrived: the traffic jams on the ring road, very often cluttered when there are heavy rains or a football match in the evening when it comes home, and the frequentation of the city center. There are certainly infrequent districts like everywhere but Nantes being smaller, it gives the impression that the whole city is not very sure. I have personally never had a bad experience while walking during the day or in the evening with friends. That said, the ‘saying’ and the phenomenon of ‘Nantes has become a dangerous city’, that does not help to be completely serene. If I had had this information before my departure, probably it would have played on the decision to come. “