Before it was part of Paris, Grenelle was a town in its own right. It joined the capital in 1860, as Vaugirard did, and rue du Commerce was its main shopping street. The name stuck, and so did the shops: it is still one of the liveliest streets in the 15th, lined with cafés, food shops and clothes stores.
From housing estate to village to city quartier
The story starts in 1824, when Léonard Violet and Alphonse Letellier began selling building plots in Grenelle. The scheme was first called “Beaugrenelle”. Rue du Commerce was laid out in 1837 as rue Saint-Guillaume and took its present name in 1877. It runs for 675 metres, from boulevard de Grenelle to rue des Entrepreneurs. Along the way, place du Commerce and its square double as a playground for local children and a pitch for boules players.
The administrative quartier of Grenelle covers more than the street. Its edges are the Seine to the north-west, avenue de Suffren to the north-east, avenue de Lowendal and rue de la Croix-Nivert to the south-east, and rue des Entrepreneurs and rue Linois to the south-west. Inside them are the churches of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Grenelle and Saint-Léon and, by the river, part of the Front de Seine towers.
Well connected by metro
Three metro lines meet at La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle: 6, 8 and 10. Line 8 also stops at Commerce, on the square itself, and line 10 at Avenue Émile Zola. Every listing gives the nearest station to the flat and the walk from it, which saves guests a phone call on arrival. The journey from Montparnasse or Orly is explained in our article on getting to the 15th.
What we set up for a flat near rue du Commerce
- A listing that states the floor, whether there is a lift, and whether bedrooms face the street or the courtyard
- The Grenelle market days in the welcome book: it runs along boulevard de Grenelle, between rue de Lourmel and rue du Commerce, on Wednesday and Sunday mornings according to paris.fr
- Cleaning timed around check-out and check-in
- Nightly prices adjusted to the calendar, see our dynamic pricing page
When the flat sits above a shop, guests have their groceries downstairs. They also share the hallway and staircase with neighbours, so the building’s rules go into every stay’s instructions.
If your flat looks onto the river, read our guide to the Beaugrenelle and Front de Seine towers.
Frequently asked questions
Which stations serve rue du Commerce?
Commerce station, on line 8, is on place du Commerce. La Motte-Picquet – Grenelle (lines 6, 8 and 10) and Avenue Émile Zola (line 10) are close by too.
When is the Grenelle market held?
According to paris.fr, on Wednesdays from 7am to 1.30pm and Sundays from 7am to 2.30pm, along boulevard de Grenelle between rue de Lourmel and rue du Commerce.
Where does the Grenelle quartier begin and end?
Its edges are the Seine, avenue de Suffren, avenue de Lowendal, rue de la Croix-Nivert, rue des Entrepreneurs and rue Linois. Île aux Cygnes belongs to it too, apart from its south-western tip.
Who looks after flats in this area?
Mohamed, our franchisee for the 15th. You can reach him on +33 6 50 48 85 21 or at ms@yesconciergerie.com.
Photo: Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
