Mont-Boron
The city of Nice stretches out below this hill rising to an altitude of 191 metres on the eastern edge of town. A real amphitheatre facing the Mediterranean, it offers a sweeping view of the Bay of Angels, a panorama much admired by an international clientele.
A 5-minute drive from the centre of Nice, this forested area of 140 acres is undoubtedly the most highly residential neighbourhood in the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes. Facing the port, Château Hill and the Promenade des Anglais on one side, the Bay of Villefranche and Cap Ferrat on the other, or again the roof-tops of eastern Nice, this luxuriant enclave plays host to residences with parks and pools, “Belle Epoque” mansions and modern villas. Michael Fusaro of Nice Properties emphasizes the diversity of Mont Boron, crossed by the boulevard of the same name, and sandwiched between the Lower and Middle Corniches. A distinction should be drawn between Le Cap de Nice, a road dotted with properties right at the water’s edge which rejoins the port, and Mont-Alban, where, except for the residences La Quieta and Le Castel Regina worth 8,000-10,000 € per sq. metre, prices range from 5,000 to 6,000 € per sq. metre as long as the property benefits from a sea view. Different again, the neighbouring side of Riquier is an address considered as decidedly less select. In fact, the “real Mont-Boron” posts prices ranging from 8,000 to 15,000 € per sqm. 2-bedroomed apartments up to 1.2 M € with panoramic sea views, terraces and garages draw members of the local working population, French buyers wanting to retire in the sun, and foreigners looking for holiday homes. A clientele also interested in the possibility of acquiring prestigious detached houses. Here, the term “luxury” assumes all its significance : from the peacefulness of the Route Forestière, Chemin des Crêtes and Avenue Germaine to spearhead renovations, the choice is wide. Matching the taste, in fact, of Scandinavian, British and East European clients.
“After seeing a complete metamorphosis over the past few years, the town of Nice now has nothing to envy of Cannes or Monaco. It keeps its promise of a high-quality urban setting, a lively economy and a rich cultural agenda,” enthuses Benjamin Mondou of Century 21 Lafage Transactions. This renewed interest in the destination has clearly had an impact on the Mont-Boron market. In a tense international context, he describes activity in 2014 as making progress, largely underpinned by demand for apartments of about 80 m2 priced from 700,000 to 1 million euros, and villas worth several million euros. “Recently, one such villa - living space 450 m2 in perfect condition, in grounds of 2,500 m2 - found a taker at 8 million euros.”
“Mont-Boron forms the link between Nice and the “Golden Triangle” in the eastern part of the Alpes-Maritimes, comprised of Villefranche, Beaulieu and Cap Ferrat. With the popularity of the capital of the Côte d’Azur constantly rising, this neighbourhood boasts some beautiful homes, properties which would be more than double the price on Cap Ferrat,” says Chuck Mckee of Haussmann International. It is indeed now hard to resist the charm of the Promenade du Paillon, the Port, Place Garibaldi and Place du Pin, all recently embellished. Mont-Boron benefits from this positive image, though the difficulty still lies in making potential buyers forget the many long years when Nice was lacking in style and was seen as a Sleeping Beauty. It now proposes a very pleasant environment coupled with high-quality accommodation. While personal enjoyment is still the main motivation, a secure investment, backed by a stable political and economic backcloth, does the rest. Among his most latest transactions, Chuck McKee mentions villas priced from 3 to10 M € and apartments around 1.2 million, recently acquired by buyers from France, Scandinavia, Ukraine, New Zealand and the UK.
