 In 1832, the area also served as the location of a retreat, established by the Saint-Simonian theorist Enfantin and forty followers.Before its 1860 absorption into Paris, Ménilmontant lay beyond the capital's tax border "(octroi)", so that wine was cheaper there, leading to the development of numerous drinking establishments, known as "guinguettes", in the 18th century.It has long been a predominantly working-class neighborhood, and in the early 1830s became notorious for the commune established there by the Saint-Simonians before being banned by the authorities.