Nice was supposed to be one long stay. It ended up being two, because the first apartment cut itself short with a plumbing problem we couldn’t wait out. This is the first month. The Riquier month. The one with Carnival, a Mediterranean sunrise from the port, and a bathroom that eventually stopped cooperating.
Finding a long-stay apartment in Nice’s Riquier neighborhood
We stayed on Boulevard Stalingrad in Riquier, the residential neighborhood just east of Vieux Nice and right next to the Port of Nice. Real Nice, not postcard Nice. Ten-minute walk to the Old Town and the sea. Local shops, quiet streets, actual neighbors who lived there year-round instead of week-to-week.
The apartment was small (Nice apartments are small — that’s the trade for living in one of Europe’s most beautiful coastal cities). It also had a plumbing situation that got progressively worse until it wasn’t workable. We cut the stay short and moved to a second Nice apartment for the following month. That story comes next.
Living in Riquier, Nice
Riquier is what tourists never see. The Port of Nice a few blocks away with its yachts and old fishing boats. Small local markets. Cafés where regulars have their table. It’s a five to ten minute walk to Cours Saleya, the six-days-a-week market that runs through the middle of the Old Town. Flowers in the morning, produce and olive oil all day, restaurants at night. On Mondays the flowers become an antique market.
We joined the Niçois for Carnival. The Battle of Flowers turned their streets into places of wonderment. We built a beautiful bouquet. The ‘Burning of the King’ parade was an amazing sight. We’ve never seen so much confetti being thrown around or shot out of cannons. The lighting, the colorfully decorated tanks, the elaborate costumes, the performers, the energetic music. A celebration we’ll always remember.
A typical day in Nice
Morning market at Cours Saleya with a canvas bag. Coffee at a corner café. Long coastal walks to our favorite picnic spot. Fruits and veggies from the market. Amazing cheeses, homemade fresh pasta, olives with garlic. All of it enabled us to make the best spaghetti we’ve ever had.
Sunset apéro somewhere with a view of the sea. Dinner at a small neighborhood place.
Nice: our verdict after a month in Riquier
Nice is a long-stay city, not a weekend city. Three days here and you’ll fight tourists. A month here and you’ll find a completely different Nice, especially in a neighborhood like Riquier where actual locals live.
The plumbing problem forced us to move, but staying in Riquier taught us something useful: the best neighborhoods in Nice aren’t always inside the Old Town. Sometimes they’re the ones a short walk from it.
Nice long-stay stats
- Duration: Cut short at about 3 weeks (planned month, plumbing issue)
- Neighborhood: Riquier (near the Port of Nice, just east of Vieux Nice)
- Cost tier: Expensive
- Walkability: Excellent
- Wifi: Fast
- Cat-friendly: Yes
- Best for: Short-to-medium stays, market lovers, Carnival experiences, people who want Nice without the Old Town crush
- Would return: Yes, in shoulder season, different apartment
Book the stay: Our first Nice apartment on Airbnb →
