In ten years, the old town is no longer the same. The Provencal colors have faded, some squares and streets are no-go areas due to insecurity or even the smell! Nothing enlivens the historic district of the city of Nice anymore, neither local festivals nor carnivals… The merchants have decided to react by creating the association “Synergie.”
“The old town is the lung of Nice. Without it, part of Nice’s heritage could lose its letters of nobility, those that make Nice an internationally recognized tourist city,” protests Fabrice Rochefer, president of the association.
After the wave of burglaries that hit the shops of Old Nice in December 2005, merchants decided to mobilize by launching a first petition with which they gathered more than a thousand signatures. Then, discussions with the City Hall and the police services were initiated. Since April 2006, “Synergie” has been officially registered as a neighborhood association, and in July the first monthly meeting between it and the police forces took place.
Their program: Security, cleanliness, and cultural events!
“Since our various actions, security has been reinforced with additional police personnel to ensure more patrols. The establishment of a municipal police station has even been promised to us,” explains Fabrice Rochefer. And he adds, “For the cleanliness of our streets, we are working with the Territory and the City Hall services.” The members of the association first claim a second, later cleaning service, especially in the summer; keys for the garbage rooms that are closed in the evening, as merchants do not have them; and a more regular and frequent rat control.
But the needs of the neighborhood do not stop there. The association also plans to find solutions concerning the unaesthetic graffiti that degrade the storefronts or to restore the facades with the colors of Provence. On the Cours Saleya side, there is a shelter for the homeless, and members of “Synergie” find that it does not promote neighborhood tourism. “We should move this center elsewhere, and we could then use the premises to create a nursery. This would facilitate the family commitments of the merchants. There are no longer any schools or nurseries in Old Nice,” emphasizes the president of the association.
All these measures are linked to the economy of tourism, but especially to contributing to the good life of the neighborhood. Because more and more residents and merchants are witnessing incivility. Trash cans are only placed around public squares and busy streets, like those of the prefecture and Cours Saleya, elsewhere they are rare and waste often ends up on the ground. “The last time, I saw three trash bags fly over a window to land in the container on the street, as in the Middle Ages! Everything is thrown out the window,” remarks Hélène Albou, attached to the cultural events of the association.
But things move quite quickly when we mobilize, and as soon as the major problems related to cleanliness are resolved, it’s Hélène who will take charge of organizing festive events in the streets of Old Nice. “I’m already starting to think of something nice for Christmas. Street lighting decorations, trees, musical entertainment, and why not a meal among residents,” she enthuses.
The goal of this association is to federate as many people as possible to create a “synergy” capable of making things happen. Because the more members there are, the more they are heard at city hall meetings.
Memberships are €25 for merchants and €5 for residents.
If you want to know more, talk to Fabrice who runs the Nocy-Bé, 6 rue Jules Gilly, or Hélène from the Bar des Oiseaux, at 5 rue St Vincent.
