What do you think about Lódź

[andren]

Hi everyone.
This is my first post on this forum. I just came to Warsaw, but in a couple
of weeks I will probably move to Lodz. I still have oportunity to decide
whether I want or not (job offer). What do you think about this city,
citizens' approach to foreigners etc..., also what should I be prepared for.
Thanks in advance for your responses. Forgive me if this topic was discussed
earlier.
Andrew

[bartis_ervin]

Hello Andrew!

Probably the best would be if you would take the train to Lodz and check how you
like the city. Trains leave almost every hour and a roundtrip ticket will cost
50 zl (+/- 5zl). (if you buy roundtrip, it'll be cheaper)

Lodz looks like a sad and depressed place (I lived there for a while), but in a
way I like it. The city's economy doesn't do so well (maybe is starting to take
off now) and unemployment is quite high.
The good side is that Lodz is a lot cheaper city than Warsaw. A one room
apartment in Lodz is around 20-25.000 zl while in Warsaw is above 100.000 zl.

Currently, the biggest mall in Europe is being built is Lodz. The brick factory
buildings that surround the site are being renovated and they look amazing.

As far as I know, Lodz was always a hip place for artists.
If you take your camera and go for a walk you can take amazing pictures.

Lodz can be a place that you love and hate at the same time, so rather check it
out for yourself!

Ervin

Thebartiski.blogspot.com

[usenetposts]

Welcome to the forum, Andren.

If you decide to live in Lodz, then you have the opportunity to buy a house
there at undervalue. In a few years time you will have to pay more, so don't
waste valuable time renting if you go there.

What Ervin said about Lodz is 100% true.

[ejmarkow]

Large, intimidating at times, industrial ambience...but a very nice center with
some very interesting architecture. I loved ul. Piotrkowska....the broadway of
Poland! Listen to the previous advice....real estate is extremely undervalued
in Łódz, as in countless other depressed cities in Poland...buy now, and enjoy
incremental asset valuation later. Overall, it's a cool city!

Cheers,

Eugene

[andren]

Hi,
I really appreciate your answers. Thank you very much. I intend to visit Lodz
in a couple of days. But could you write a bit more about such things like
communication (is it easy to communicate in English), safety, nice places,
places to avoid etc.
decision about buying a house is a bit far from me. I haven't been to the city
yet)
Andrew

[bartis_ervin]

I don't think that it is more difficult to communicate in English than in
Warsaw. There are more and more international companies which have expat staff,
including students. I remember that when we lived there my Polish was virtually
non-existent and I could get by without problems (at least I don't remember the
problems anymore).

Avoid the Widzew football stadion if you are dressed in green!
The night life centers around Piotrkowska, so this means that on Friday and
Saturday night you can bump into quite many more or less drunk people, but never
had any problems.

I haven't mentioned before that on Piotrkowska there is a restaurant called
Presto, they have one of the best pizzas I ever ate (including the ones that I
ate in Italy).

In this forum, there is a Portuguese guy (his nick is portulaco) who could give
you some precious advices since he lives in Lodz.

Ervin

Thebartiski.blogspot.com

[tuti]

A polish-Manchester.
dirty, sad, depressing, horrible, cheap(er), great pubs (great number at least)
fascinating.
I think I do like this poor city.


[91-371,Pl. From Lodz to Manchester. BB1, UK.]

[bartis_ervin]

I haven't been in Manchester, but heard the same comparison from others.

I just heard it on Trojka that a British woman came from Nottingham to Lodz for
a dentist appointment. It was cheaper for her to fly here, pay the doctor, sleep
in a hotel and then fly back than to go to a dentist in Nottingham.
Interesting

Ervin

Thebartiski.blogspot.com

[nasza_maggie]

Allegedly, Lodz = Piotrkowska street. That's all, I really know about Lodz from
film students. It has a nice climate for a photographer. Apart from that - not
much else.

Maybe you could try asking somebody on the Lodz forum?

[gurak]

Łódż for Poland = Detroit for USA= Berlin for Germany
Ugly shithole with the highest rate of criminality, racism and filth in PL.

[nasza_maggie]

Berlin?!?!??!

When was the last time you were there?

[usenetposts]

gurak napisał:

> Łódż for Poland = Detroit for USA= Berlin for Germany
> Ugly shithole with the highest rate of criminality, racism and filth in PL.

Berlin has its bad bits, but in the main it is a place of considerable
aesthetic merit and a high standard of living. It is not all Charlottenberg. I
lived in Steglitz once and I thought that was a very nice area. Not long ago I
stayed in some of the reclaimed no-man's land area - it was as beautiful as
modern architecture gets anywhere.

[masha_qrella]

And the new mall in old factory area, wow, impressed me!

[marimax]

The ugliest cities in Poland: Lodz and Poznan

[usenetposts]

marimax napisał:

> The ugliest cities in Poland: Lodz and Poznan

Poznan? You cannot be serious.

[portulaco]

I live in Lodz and I know this city only since 2001.

Łódź needs most of all a urgent and general "remont".

Many buildings in the city are real jewels but falling apart due to lack of maintenance or simply neglected.

Plac Wolności for instance looks like a trip in a time machine placing you in the early 80's.... apart from the cars.

Moreover Łódź is much more poorer comparing too Warsaw, Kraków and Gdańsk too, it's enough to see the cars, here it's not difficult to see old Polonezes, Maluch and those ugly Wartburg cars.

The Kalizka railway station it's absolutely a shame in spite of minor improvements here and there.

Famous Ulica Piotrkowska it's also full of abandoned shops and flats though many buildings are beeing restored.

I didn't saw yet Manufaktura, our baby needs lot of attention and love

[tuti]

Cause I've known lodz for ages, but I haven't been there for a year or so
recently, I've been terryfied when a friend of mine informed me that he need to
the toiled URGENTLY just when we left the train from Warsaw. I tried to
persuade him ,that we will be home in 15 minutes..but he couldnt wait.
Terryfied, I took him to where I knew these disguisting, dirty, smelly toilets
should be..and? WHat a surprise! Clean and nice! and 2 pln charge to eneter
But, what a relief


Lodz is far from being ugliest, As long as we count more than the amount of
abandoned shops or buildings that needs restoring. It is Interesting!
and such Bydgoszcz...for example..to start with

[portulaco]

I find Piotrków Trybunalski quite dull and abandoned, as well as Pabianice.

Those toilets in Kaliska! It's true, once I went there with my wife and she had exactly the same urgence as your friend, I told her to wait we would be at home in 15 minutes but she was really surprised when she saw how those toilets where clean.

Does anybody here knows the Lódź Kaliska bar in Piotrkowska?

[tuti]

Is there anyone who does not know the kaliska pub?
The mekka of ppl who think they're cool, and make themselves feel better by
going to this trendy place Or of elderly artists?
Nah, of course kaliska is better then this disco there at the bottom of
this 'brama' , and still, you can find people who not only pretend to be cool...

[portulaco]

Tuti said: The mekka of ppl who think they're cool, and make themselves feel better by
> going to this trendy place Or of elderly artists?
> Nah, of course kaliska is better then this disco there at the bottom of
> this 'brama' , and still, you can find people who not only pretend to be cool

I used to go there a lot during my Erasmus but nowadays it´s out of question, not only because you can find the most weirdow people of Lodz as well for the clouds of smoke.

The disco at the end of the alley it's called Port West and has a dummy sized Liberty Statue painted with stars and stripes plus the mettalic door looking like a submarine entrance.

I never imagined that Kaliska was trendy

[ejmarkow]

portulaco napisał:

> I find Piotrków Trybunalski quite dull and abandoned, as well as Pabianice.

Are you kidding? I was in Piotrków Trybunalski 2 years ago and found the 'old
town' to be stunning. I walked from the train station to the center. It was
full of many attractive old buildings, churches, a castle, and two ryneks.
Overall, quite a gem.

[firemouse]

marimax napisał:

> The ugliest cities in Poland: Lodz and Poznan

Funny that you do not mention Stalowa Wola.

[ejmarkow]

firemouse napisał:

> marimax napisał:
>
> > The ugliest cities in Poland: Lodz and Poznan
>
> Funny that you do not mention Stalowa Wola.

Stalowa Wola is a monstrosity! I passed through there once day, wondering where
the 'old' center was. There was none to be found. Puławy is another city that
falls somewhat into this category, save a few artifacts such as the Czartoryski
palace, Liceum, and Sybil's monument. The Zakład Azotowe factory is the town's
centerpiece.

[usenetposts]

ejmarkow napisał:

> firemouse napisał:
>
> > marimax napisał:
> >
> > > The ugliest cities in Poland: Lodz and Poznan
> >
> > Funny that you do not mention Stalowa Wola.
>
> Stalowa Wola is a monstrosity! I passed through there once day, wondering
where
>
> the 'old' center was. There was none to be found. Puławy is another city that
> falls somewhat into this category, save a few artifacts such as the
Czartoryski
>
> palace, Liceum, and Sybil's monument. The Zakład Azotowe factory is the
town's
> centerpiece.

I think Plock and Wloclawek are two cities that have managed to retain some
beauty and heritage despite having overshadowing heavy industry.

[ianek70]

firemouse napisał:

> marimax napisał:
>
> > The ugliest cities in Poland: Lodz and Poznan
>
> Funny that you do not mention Stalowa Wola.

Not really, marimax doesn't live in Poland and has probably never been in Łódź,
Poznań or Stalowa Wola.
Although I can't imagine Stalowa Wola is uglier than Sosnowiec or
Świętochłowice...

[ejmarkow]

Check out some photographs of the Old Town in Piotrkow T.
www.piotrkow.pl/galeria.html

[portulaco]

ejmarkow, you're right...

Mea culpa!

I shouldn't have commented without taking a real tour around Piotrków, according to the images has very interesting places too. (smiley blushing here)

[usenetposts]

portulaco napisał:

> ejmarkow, you're right...
>
> Mea culpa!
>
> I shouldn't have commented without taking a real tour around Piotrków,
accordin
> g to the images has very interesting places too. (smiley blushing here)

The area around Piotrkow is a bit of a patchwork, you can find bits that are
not very aesthetic, but there are plenty of dlights as well. A short while ago
in another thread there was talk of Podklastorze, a monastery-cum-hotel in
Sulejowek. The lake itself is one of the finest recreational opportunities in
Central Poland, although under catered for with accommodation - it would in act
be a great chance for someone wishing to invest in the hospitality industry.

[ejmarkow]

Another small city which I visited when I was in the Piotrków Trybunalski area
was Tomaszów Mazowiecki. This city had some attractions as well, with numerous
period buildings, a nice rynek although a bit run down, palace, churches, and
quiet atmosphere. The surrounding forest was enormous and excellent for
recreation. I haven't been to Sulejów but I heard it is nice as Dave mentioned.

[tuti]

oh esqueeze me,
lodz looks lovely and impressing from the pictures as well! Not to mention its
quite interesting history of a multicultural city.
But real state of polish towns may differ from what we see on photographs, in
general

[b00g13]

Lodz is starnge place. You will love it or hate it instantly. I lived there for
24 years and i liked it, there are places where you can feel like a post nuclear
novel charakter, there are places that looks like '20 movie and there are places
that looks like (and smells like) they were used as a urine tank for many
generations.
It's an industrial city. Of course not much of an industry survived IIww and
fall of commies, but it have this specyfic look. Old factories, workers houses
etc... If You like this kind of atmosfere You will like Lodz.
Lodz is famous from its pubs (in Poland o.c.). Great many gatheret in strict
city centre, around Piotrkowska st., some clubs also, altough I'm not much of a
clubbie so I cannot tell You much about them. The pubs on the other hand...
When You're in Lodz You can find a different pub for each different mood. Pubs
with a specific music (and dedicated to a specific kind of music), pubs made for
specyfic activities (For example pub Dungeon on a corner of 6 Sierpnia st. and
Gdańska st., it was a Role Playing Games club, then evolved into a pub, but
quite often people plays there).

If i would have to choose between W-wa and LDZ, I would choose LDZ. But it's
Your choice and like i told You; You will love it or hate it... instantly.

--
Wierzę, bo to absurd !
św. Ignucy kościoła Emacs

[mari88]

I'm glad to read there are so much positive reactions about Lódz: I'm going to
live there for a year, and untill now, I heard most negative reactions,
like: 'why??' and 'don't go to Lódz, go to Wroclaw!!'.

Does anybody know the area around trainstation 'Lodz Fabryzcna'? (because
that's where I will be very oft.

[usenetposts]

> I'm glad to read there are so much positive reactions about Lódz: I'm going
to
> live there for a year, and untill now, I heard most negative reactions,
> like: 'why??' and 'don't go to Lódz, go to Wroclaw!!'.
>
> Does anybody know the area around trainstation 'Lodz Fabryzcna'? (because
> that's where I will be very oft.

There is a joke about Lodz Fabryczna train station area.

A new Father Confessor got off the train at Lodz Fabryczna and asked the way to
the convent to see the nuns and take confession from them. He had to walk six
blocks which happened to take him through the red light district.

Well as he walks he encounters a number of scantily dressed women each saying
to him "Hey Father, how about it? It's only 40 zlotys a trick!" Well he doesn't
get it, and is a bit embarrassed to ask what they are talking about, but he is
running late and doesn't have time to ask about it.

After confessing the nuns, and having supper, he gets his hat and coat and is
then reminded of the unusual propositions he heard on the way there. So he asks
the Mother Superior "sister, by the way, what's a trick?"

"It's 40 zlotys, just like on the outside."

[b00g13]

I know. Tell me where do you want to go from there.

[mari88]

b00g13 napisał:

> I know. Tell me where do you want to go from there.<

well, the only thing I know is, that my flat is 'in between a 10 minute walk'
from Lódz Fabryzska.

thnx for the joke, it promisses good perspectives (grimass)

[b00g13]

Try using this
maps.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=en&q=Lodz&near=&ie=UTF8&om=0&ll=51.768238,19.467602&spn=0.008127,0.019312
I tried to find some online maps of Lodz, but its beyond my 'saturday-morning'
abilities. It's a google maps, it dont shows everything, but i think it would
prove itself usefull. Place where the railroad ends its a Lodz Fabryczna
Station, dont ask me why it's not named on map

Have fun