Most scenes in Tropic of Cancer (1934), by Henry Miller, that are set in Le Havre take place in the neighbouring areas of Saint-François and Notre-Dame. For a long time, Saint-François was the fishermen’s neighbourhood, and also included houses of pleasure. Also in the 1930s, Céline described the world of the port and sailors in the plot outline for his ballet Voyou Paul. Brave Virginie (1937), written for the 200th anniversary of Bernardin de de Saint-Pierre’s birth.

Francis Carco dedicated a poem to the fishermen’s neighbourhood in Le Havre, which he mentions through the circumlocution “gigantic city by the sea” (1958). The same port atmosphere appears in the “Chanson de Margarett” (1957), written by Pierre Mac Orlan, the author of the novel Port of Shadows.

Émile Danoën dedicated an entire popular novel to the former Saint-François area (Dust in the Wind, 1951), relating its history since the 19th century, through the story of a family. In the opening pages of the book, he describes both faces of the neighbourhood, before and after 1944.

Marcel Pagliero’s film, A Man Walks in the City (1950), includes images of the Saint-François neighbourhood being rebuilt after the war.

Many scenes in Havre (2011) by Aki Kaurismäki are set in this area.

Several painters portrayed the Saint-François quays, including Othon Friez (1879-1949) in Le Havre. Bassin du Roy (1906), and Albert Marquet (1875-1947) in Le Bassin du Roy au Havre (1906).