I'm moving to Vinohrady: It came by itself, the district showed me the best and I have stayed here since
Originally, Jana had no plans to move at all, certainly not almost to the center of Prague, about which she had her own opinion. But then something happened that made her the real "girl from Vinohrady".
She enjoyed village life
We're sitting with Jana in a small cosy café and she places her order before the waitress even lays the menu in front of her. „I come here quite frequently, their cake is delicious,“ she apologises, quickly digging her spoon into it. She looks like at home here and few would guess that she's just settling in Prague's Vinohrady district. Jana is from a village just outside of Prague and has been commuting to the city all her life. „To school, later to work, to the theater and to concerts, I kept going back and forth. I didn't mind though, I knew that it was the price to pay for my love for the greenery and certain space for life," she admitted. She never even considered moving to Prague, let alone almost to the city center.
One babysitting and switching the turnout
But then chance intervened and suddenly everything was different. "Well, it was a funny incident. My cousin and her partner bought a new apartment. Shortly after they were celebrating their five-year anniversary and she surprised him by buying a trip to the sea. He suspected nothing and also bought her a present: a dog! So they were in quite a stalemate, they were supposed to leave in a few weeks, but what about the dog, right?! My cousin did not want to put it in some dog kindergarten, after all it was an older dog from a shelter and had hard time getting used to them, she was afraid that it would unsettle him, so she called relatives if they could help, and she also remembered me. I love animals, I couldn't say no, but I thought I'd take him to our village and pay it off partially while working from home," Jana recalls. She could not imagine how she could function with an animal in the city center, actually she thought it unthinkable, where would she walk him? She talked about it with the relative for a while, until her cousin offered that the babysitting could take place in their apartment, so Jana could try that it is not a problem.
Vinohrady in the perspective of the 21st century
"I didn't believe it, but I took it as a challenge and also as a nice change. The first shock came at the moment when I arrived at my cousin's. I knew that she and a boyfriend had bought something renovated in Vinohrady, but I expected some small flat where can't move around, with a view at maximum to the opposite house. I had such experience when I was years ago visiting a friend who lived just a few blocks away, and I didn't get excited at all. But this was completely different. I was welcomed by an entrance like to some palace and a spacious flat with those charming high ceilings. It instantly radiated the magic of old times, but this was added by all the modern amenities like an indoor pool in the house, a terrace with a view of Prague or private parking. Just a perfect wow effect, I was amazed," describes Jana, how she looked at the old quarter from a new perspective. No wonder, in the area where her cousin lives, a number of sensitive reconstructions have taken place, streets are getting a modern coat, but they are still those art nouveau buildings with elegant facades and historical features.
On foot, on foot and mainly to the park - or a restaurant?
She sat down with the puppy right away, he also liked long treks similar to Jana and his new owner quickly understood that they will not lack interesting locations. "In the morning and after returning from work, the dog and I always took a nourishing walk. My cousin gave me a few tips on her favorite parks and she was right, there was plenty to choose from! Grébovka, Riegerovy sady, Vyšehrad and Vítkov on the weekend, all of course on foot. Unfortunately for me, everywhere was full of tempting looking cafes and restaurants and, as I am a foodie, and on top of that there was seating available in the garden, I usually couldn't resist. Morning coffee and something to bite, brunch on the weekend, an opulent dinner menu with a selection of world cuisines according to mood, topped with dessert and a glass of wine, something like that. I gained a little weight, but I don't regret,"
Jana describes, she was mainly taken by the atmosphere, which completely engulfed her. All those lights and small tables in front of the establishments, with groups of people standing around, stopping by for a glass and a chat with friends.
"Sometimes I felt that I wasn't even in Prague, but in Paris or somewhere in Italy. The evening Vinohrady, especially around Mírák, looked fabulous - there was this kind of stylish urban hum, but in a much more intimate spirit than, say, at Staromák - and I must say, they also tasted good," laughs Jana, who also admitted that not only did she eat well, but also changed her opinion that there must necessarily be little greenery and suitable places for walks and dog walks throughout Prague. And this is confirmed by those who take care of the green comfort.
"Prague 2 is one of the greenest central city districts. Our parks are among the most visited in the metropolis. And we do everything to keep it that way,"
assures in the magazine Praha2.cz the deputy mayor Jan Recman, who is in charge of the environment. Currently, there is a plan to plant another thirty-one trees in the parks, which will serve not only for decoration but also as an urban heat island.
Without a car and without noise
Jana was completely taken by Vinohrady and partially because she didn't have to take the car out of the garage even once in two weeks at her cousin's. She walked everywhere on her own, managed to go to work by subway without any problems, which was exceedingly satisfying to her because she finally arrived on time. Good transport accessibility and a number of other benefits combined with good experience finally pushed her to find a sublet in this district. As soon as she can, she would like to own her own place, but for now she is fine with this arrangement because she is close to her cousin who, in the meantime, got a second dog and she is happily helping with dog-walking.
"I'm satisfied, no doubt about that, and if I found a flaw in Vinohrady? Perhaps the only thing that sometimes annoys me is the noise associated with various concerts and events in Rieger Gardens. If I'm not in the mood to have fun, I don't want to hear it at home. But that's more in the summer, now fortunately it's quiet," says Jana.
Residents like Jana can, however, be at peace, work is also being done on this issue. As Jan Korseska, the mayor of Prague 2, stated at a recent discussion with citizens, which was reported on their website Municipal District of Prague 2, preserving quiet zones and ensuring that the rules apply to everyone, is one of the district's priorities.
Source: author's text, own querying, Praha2.cz, Np2.cz
