Fight to save James Baldwin's Southern France home
Group trying to buy property to turn it into a writers' retreat faces opposition from Baldwin family
Saint-Paul-De-Vence, France
FROM 1970 until his death in 1987, James Baldwin lived and wrote in a house with an idyllic garden in this medieval village on the Côte d'Azur, with the Alps at its back and the Mediterranean visible far below.
But those who arrive today to pay homage to Baldwin will not find anything commemorating that American novelist, playwright and essayist. No house museum greets them, or even a plaque with his name. The wing where Baldwin lived was torn down a few years ago. The remaining two houses on the property are in disrepair, the once-verdant garden unkempt. And the local real estate developer who now owns the property, after the Baldwin family lost control of it more than a decade ago, plans to build three apartment buildings and a swimming pool.
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Property
Hybrid, flexible working set to curb Singapore office usage and rents
Australia home prices sustain growth in April, CoreLogic says
New York City’s rent-stabilised tenants face third year of price hikes
New Zealand house prices dip for first time in 8 months
Blackstone in talks to buy Dulwich schools in Singapore, Seoul for US$600 million
Strained Chinese cities struggle to pay home-buying subsidies