Living conditions |
Saint-Quentin presents the advantages of Paris and Brussels without the disadvantages of high cost, congestion, and hyper-urbanisation ... It also has all the infrastructures requested by a demanding population in terms of quality of life. This is the first town in the department of Aisne, an agglomeration at human scale, a life close to nature and away from congestion, where the supply of culture, sports, education, child care is at the same level than the one of a major city. Many green spaces give to the city and its residents a quality of life unequalled, very close to nature.
HOW IS IT LIKE TO LIVE IN SAINT-QUENTIN?
The French Cities Association welcomes you:
Getting in touch and first step on arrival: the AVF association welcomes all newcomers and facilitate their integration. Help of all kind, listening, lectures, meetings, events, everything is done to allow the welcome the newcomers.
Tel: (33) (0) 3 23 64 72 33.
Website: City of Saint Quentin
TODDLERS AND SCHOOLS
For further information, please contact the municipality’s toddler-youth service: (33) (0) 3 23 06 94 41.
Mairie@ville-saint-quentin.fr
Some nurseries, a nursery and a team of kindergarten assistants- to help families to choose which system of care suits them the best - are available to parents seeking assistance with child care. A playroom reinforces the opportunities to occupy toddlers from Saint-Quentin. Finally, the inhabitants have to possibility to choose from public schools, private schools under contract, according their the wishes or beliefs
SPORT
The award of the second most sporting city of France has been attributed to Saint-Quentin in 2005 by the newspaper “l'Equipe”. The agglomeration has over 10000 licensees and a vice Olympic champ, Jerome Thomas, silver medallist in boxing in Athens 2004. With its 105 sports facilities, two swimming pools, its Sports Stadium of 3500 seats, a skate park and 25 gymnasiums Saint-Quentin give itself all the means necessary to conduct a real municipal policy on the subject. All the conditions are gathered to give everyone the opportunity to practice the discipline of one's dreams. The free access beach on the Pond of Isle is open throughout the summer and allows people to beach sports - not to mention the paddle boat!
CULTURE AND ENTERTAINEMENT
- 12 cinemas in the metropolitan area and more than twice as many films showing each week.
- Three major theaters, each with a different vocation, which count up to nearly 3000 subscribers during the cultural season.
- An Italian stage from the mid-nineteenth century of 500 seats, which hosts a classical and contemporary repertoire, and concerts.
The Splendid, great hall of 1300 seats, which hosts major productions on tour.
The Manufacture, an eclectic contemporary stage which host rich and varied productions, ranging from shows for younger audiences to tales or concerts.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Populated region since the beginning of Gaul, the Vermandois has an heritage that became richer and richer over the centuries: Gallo-Roman ruins , a gothic basilica, which served as a scenery for the film "Queen Margot" (Notre Dame de Paris is represented by the Basilica of Saint-Quentin), a City Hall known worldwide for its gothic style, hotels owned by rich industrials belonging to the textile industry, “art-deco” buildings associated with post-war reconstruction, a whole complex of buildings symbolized by the square of the City Hall where coexist harmoniously all styles, ranging from the sixteenth to the twentieth century.
The style that gives Saint Quentin this special character is the Art Deco with more than 3000 facades identified, from which 277 belong to the official French historical heritage.
This priceless heritage comes from the misfortune of History: the 1st world war, which has destroyed more than 80% of the buildings. This unprecedented disaster in the history of the Picarde City is at the root of this exceptional architectural heritage that makes Saint Quentin the European capital of the Art Deco.
As for museums, the city Saint-Quentin has two jewels:
- The Museum Antoine-Lécuyer recreate in a hotel the atmosphere of elegant mansions from the eighteenth century and houses the fund of the pastellist’s workshop Maurice Quentin de La Tour. Familiar face, Antoine-Lécuyer's self-made picture has ornamented our 50 francs banknote for years.This pastellist of princes and prince of pastellistes, portrait painter of Louis XV and of the royal family, friend of all the great men of the Enlightenment (who does not know Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot), was born and died in Saint-Quentin. As a sign of loyalty and gratitude to his hometown, he bequeathed his fund workshop, thus enabling the city to have the largest collection of the artist’s works: nearly 70 pastels causing countless visits of art historians and enlightened amateurs. Among the last, Marc Fumaroli, Pierre Rosenberg and Michel David-Weill honoured by their presence the celebrations organised for the tercentenary of the artist’s birth. This event knew its climax with the major retrospective of the Château de Versailles in 2004, for which the museum lent 20 pieces of work.
- The Museum of Butterflies, for enlightened amateurs, but also for others, has one of the world's largest collections gathered by a passionate explorer in the last century.
SHOPS
Many brands that count in France such as Decathlon and Auchan are represented in a large shopping mall on the outskirts of town. Neighboring the City Hall, any consumers with taste can get satisfaction thanks to all the convenience stores (Monoprix, clothing and decoration shops) located in the town center. There is also 5 open-air markets dispatched in 5 districts of the city - and as many in the metropolitan area.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTS
Two road networks coexist:
The Pastel network, with its 6 bus routes, crosses the city. The CITA network, the Information Center of Transportation of Aisne, connects Saint-Quentin to major cities across the department. Without to forget the SNCF, with its splendid art deco station nearby the center of the city, allows you to rejoin Paris 10 times a day in 1:15 and the cities of Picardy all day long.
EVENTS
Punctuated by traditional festivals and initiatives imitated not only all across France but now also abroad, this year’s rhythm has been given by many cultural events:
- The Chandeleur fun air,
- the Saint-Denis Fair dating from the thirteenth century,
- the Saint-Jean jump sale,
- the jump sale of the faubourg d'Isle,
- the great jump sale downtown,
- the festival of the Jester at Pentecost,
- The reconstitution of the village of mountain dwellers that takes place at the city Hall at the end of the year ...
Saint-Quentin will access to posterity for inventing the City Hall’s beach concept: every July the palm trees are planted and multiple swimming pools and sandy beaches are installed, much to the delight of the 420,000 annual visitors For the record, this event has been conceived by Xavier Bertrand, also vice-mayor in charge of the organisation of cultural events and current Minister of Social Affairs.
NATURE
A natural reserve in an urban area is unique. Covering an area of 47ha in the metropolitan area of 100ha in all, it offers a unique landscape to all lovers of fauna and flora: a wetland along the valley of the Somme, with a variety of interesting ecosystems. Those wishing to explore the surrounding area can take more than 60 km marked walking trails which form a green mesh across the city. You can also reach on foot the many springs of the Somme, mountain bike along the Oise river , follow the tow paths, look for the many clues of the great battles of the First World War. You can simply roam according to your inspiration, admiring the variety of the landscapes of the Aisne.
