A little while ago I flew back to the UK via Łódź on Ryanair for a funeral. Coming home, I spent the night after my flight at a hotel w centrum near the train station before departing the next day.Despite Łódź‘s reputation and all the warnings that it wasn’t safe at night, that there were many drunks and violent people there, I felt safe the whole time. Access to the nearby airport is really very easy: skip a taxi if you’re on a budget and take the 55 bus.
Staying at the Hotel Centrum on ul. Kilinskiego, reputedly Roman Polanski’s residence of choice whilst Łódź still had its film festival, I had plenty of time to take in the superb view.
Łódź’s grid-like system makes it easy to get about and form a mental map of. After several months, I still struggle with Warsaw’s. There’s a hugely well done shopping centre renovation of the former factories at Manufaktura, which I fear has rather sucked the life out of Łódź’s renovated centre piece street, Piotrokowska, which as a result still has the kind of independent buty, gew-gaw and knick-knack shops you see down many Polish side streets. I was most surprised by the fact that so many of the central fine pre-war buildings were either run down or unoccupied. Unless people know something I don’t, Łódź looked to me to be exactly the sort of place you’d want buy a house/apartment in. I can foresee a future not too distant where those houses get sold for a fortune.
Above all, I felt the city had character, real character. With only a fer hours to explore, I will certainly be going back, but this February I must first travel to the distant town of Koszalin up by the Baltic. I have four key objectives in the time I spend in Poland, and one of them is to travel as widely as possible to experience its culture and meet people, after a bit of a slow start I am looking forward to accomplishing that this year. 
Incidentally, Łódź is also the town where I discovered my favourite food combination of 2010: a Bigos/Kanapka hybrid (left). Who said the Polish food industry wasn't innovative?!
PS. I have just seen this English language video report on the BBC on John Abraham Godson, the city's new (black) MP.
PS. I have just seen this English language video report on the BBC on John Abraham Godson, the city's new (black) MP.
I went to Łódż a few times and felt that the praise they gave to Piotrikowski was more a reflection of their low expectations than the quality of the street. I can'yt imagine it going downhill.
ReplyDeleteI would have described the town as dead rather than deadly, even the day following a football 'riot' - the soppy thugs couldn't even break glass in doors and windows, only crack it. Where are the Dr Martins when you need them?
Pan Steeva, was this before or after the renovation of the street?
ReplyDeleteBefore, I hope - perhaps 2005/6, last time. However, they still felt it to be the best street in Poland.
ReplyDeleteIt was before according to the English Language wikipedia site, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piotrkowska_Street which seems pretty pleased with itself. The problem is as you walk to the Pietryna (as it is apparently called) you're walking through derelict, boarded up houses and run down streets. I suppose the work has got to start somewhere. I really do feel that it's got the right ingredients to be an attractive town in 10, 20 or 30 years.
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