Bois-Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 9 km (5.6 mi) from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe; in 2017, it had a population of 28,239. International companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, IBM and Aviva have their French headquarters in Bois-Colombes.

Location 

The commune of Bois-Colombes is located north of the Hauts-de-Seine department, in a bend of the Seine . The neighboring municipalities are: Asnières-sur-Seine (to the east and north), Colombes (to the north and to the west), La Garenne-Colombes (to the south-west) and Courbevoie (to the south).

Economy

Located in the north of Hauts-de-Seine, Bois-Colombes is a predominantly residential town. Rue des Bourguignons, bordering Asnières-sur-Seine, is the most important shopping street in the north of the Gennevilliers peninsula . The city had several notable companies in cosmetics (Payot), ball bearings ( SKF ) but mainly in aeronautics ( Hispano-Suiza ). 

The companies IBM , Aviva , GRTgaz , Storengy , Elengy (three companies of the group GDF SUEZ ), Coface and Colgate-Palmolive have recently arrived.

Transport

Bois-Colombes is served mainly by train. Indeed, three stations are located at the limit of the municipal territory:

• Bois-Colombes , the most central, is served by line J , by the missions connecting Paris Saint-Lazare to Ermont-Eaubonne.
• Bécon-les-Bruyères , to the south.
• Les Vallées , to the west.

The city is ten minutes from Paris-Saint-Lazare and the Grands Boulevards and seven minutes from La Défense from Bécon-les-Bruyères station .

The Vélib ‘ network is not located in Bois-Colombes or in the neighboring municipalities. The nearest station is in Colombes , at Parc Pierre-Lagravère .

Education

The commune has:

• Six combined preschools and primary schools: Françoise-Dolto, Gramme, La Cigogne, Pierre-Joigneaux, Jules-Ferry, Paul-Bert
• One elementary-only school: Saint-Exupéry
• Two junior high schools: Collège Jean-Mermoz and Collège Albert-Camus
• Two senior high schools: Lycée Albert-Camus and Lycée professionnel régional

Sport

The town has three gymnasiums, one to the north of its territory, the Albert-Smirlian sports complex (coupled with the La Safeguard gymnasium), the second to the south of it: the Jean-Jaures sports complex , which also hosts the concessionaire of the municipal swimming pool, and the last in the district of the place Mermoz which accommodates the various teams of the handball section. The senior team is playing in the French national 3 championship and has seen many internationals pass.

The Albert-Camus school city also hosts a sports complex reserved for students, including a stadium, a swimming pool, a climbing room and a gym equipped with trampolines . The town also has a quality aquatic center (25 m pool  , wellness center, cardio-training center and spa).

Local Culture and Heritage 

Places and monuments 

The old wind tunnel at the Hispano-Suiza factory in Les Bruyères is listed. It was transformed into a school during the deindustrialisation of the site.
Apart from the wind tunnel, the most notable monument is the town hall built in 1937 . Its verdigris belfry, visible for several kilometers around, is often used as a landmark for Bois-Colombiens.

Cultural heritage 

Bois-Colombes and the cinema 

The town hall was used for filming and series:

• 1980  : La Banquière by Francis Girod
• 1988  : Le Consot ( To Kill a Priest ) by Agnieszka Holland
• 2007  : La Commune , broadcast on Canal +
• 2008  : The New Protocol of Thomas Vincent with Clovis Cornillac
• 2009  : Micmacs à tire-larigot by Jean-Pierre Jeunet