Life in Bucharest’s Blocks

Bucharest on Bucharest

by Craig Turp January 20, 2012 Bucharest

 Romania’s National School of Administration and Political Science (SNSPA) last year carried out an in-depth study to find out what the people of Bucharest thought about the place in which they live. While the study was published in May last year, its existence – and its findings – have only just become made known to [...]

13 comments Read the full article →

The year in Bucharest Life

by Craig Turp December 23, 2011 Bucharest

 We started the year in belligerent mood, dismissing as nonsense the idea that Minister of Tourism Elena Udrea should be held personally responsible for Romania failing to appear on a couple of meaningless travel lists. We followed that up with a similar post calling bullshit on the idea that foreign reporters should be compelled to [...]

13 comments Read the full article →

Parts of Bucharest we’ve never been to No. 1: Bucurestii Noi

by Craig Turp September 6, 2011 Bucharest

 While for most people Krakow’s biggest attractions are its picture postcard Rynek, hippy Kazimierz or regal Wawel, for us the best bit of Krakow is Nowa Huta, a northern suburb built in the 1950s in a deliberate attempt to make liberal, bourgeois Krakow a more proletarian kind of place. The day job In Your Pocket [...]

69 comments Read the full article →

What’s wrong with green blocks?

by Craig Turp August 24, 2011 Bucharest

 The good people of Craiova will apparently soon be fined if they paint their blocks garish colours. We don’t see the harm. Of course, it would be nice if all the socialist-era blocks in Romania could be renovated with a bit of taste, but who’s to say that brightly coloured blocks are not tasteful? Of [...]

7 comments Read the full article →

Home in Bucharest (No. 4): Bulevardul Unirii

by Craig Turp August 22, 2011 Bucharest

 A quick reminder: This mini-series of posts is not intended to be a definitive list of Bucharest‘s districts, complete with lengthy descriptions. Instead, it is a rather self-indulgent look at the little bits of Bucharest in which we have lived, and how they have changed over the years. We have decided to do this for [...]

21 comments Read the full article →

Home in Bucharest (No. 1): Universitate

by Craig Turp July 4, 2011 Bucharest

 First off, a couple of points of order. This series of posts is not intended to be a definitive list of Bucharest‘s districts, complete with lengthy descriptions. Instead, it is a rather self-indulgent look at the little bits of Bucharest in which we have lived, and how they have changed over the years. We have [...]

23 comments Read the full article →

Nesimtit de bun simt

by Craig Turp February 25, 2010 Bucharest

 (OR: Can you buy ashtrays in Bucharest?) We live on the ground floor of a small Bucharest block. It has four floors in all, and while it’s not in the most salubrious or sought-after parts of the city, we’re happy here. The neighbours are by and large fine. No noise (you can hear a pin [...]

3 comments Read the full article →