After World War II, St-Germain-des-Prés became synonymous with intellectual life centred around bars and cafes. Philosophers, writers, actors and musicians mingled in the cellar nightspots and brasseries, where existentialist philosophy coexisted with American jazz.
The area is now smarter than in the heyday of jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, the haunting Juliette Greco and the New Wave film-makers. The writers are still around, enjoying the pleasures of sitting in Les Deux-Magots, Cafe de Flore and other haunts.
The 17th-century buildings have survived, but signs of change are evident in the affluent shops dealing in antiques, books and fashion.
