The Future Bedroom Community of Żyrardów

A dear friend I've made in Warsaw invited me one weekend to come to town the town where she lives just outside of Warsaw. I really couldn't believe how much I lived it. A mere 30 minutes by train (which leaves ever half hour or so), Żyrardów was a Polish wonderland. The day I visited was rainy and grey, but we are talking about Poland after all, and even the grey didn't mar the beauty of this little gem.

The town has about 40,000 inhabitants, and was originally founded in the 1830s around the textile manufacturing industry. It weathered WWII rather well, so many of the original factory buildings still stand.

Main square

Beautiful balcony

Now, for the remarkable features of this town:

1. It holds onto its history. Unlike Warsaw, which can't seem to decide between burying and displaying its tortured/prideful/important past, Żyrardów proudly refers back to its manufacturing past, even as it develops. Placards in English and Polish are placed around town offering snippets about the activities and people who once lived there.

2. It is developing intelligently. Again, unlike many towns I've visited in Poland, Żyrardów gets what makes it special - interesting architecture, a small-town vibe, and a rich history. Rather than tearing down the many abandoned brick factory buildings, they are being converted to lofts (swank!).

Here is one loft building, which I would be mighty tempted to buy into if I were a 30-year-old Pole working in Warsaw and just starting a family:

Brand new lofts in what was once a textile factory

"Spinning Lady" restaurant on the ground floor of new loft building

At the base of this building is a wonderful wine bar/restaurant serving Polish food which has been reinvigorated with interesting ingredients and food combinations (again, not something you see very often in Poland, despite its purported interest in becoming more European).

[Editor's note: should this post make you tempted to buy as well, you can find more info on Żyrardów loft living here and here. Just tell 'em YAIP sent you!]

3. Things make sense in Żyrardów. Only those who have lived in Poland can truly understand the frustration of dealing with Polish commerce. Salespeople rarely volunteer more information than is absolutely necessary, and there is a general lack of information everywhere you go. This can be especially frustrating in restaurants, where customers are somehow expected to know to ask, upon reading a menu, "what else do you have?"

Long rant short, in addition to the above mentioned restaurant, Żyrardów boasts an adorable smoke free (!) cafe with a wide range of beer and tea offerings. How do I know this? Because they display the things they sell right in plain view! Plus, they have an additional menu which lists other relevant information, such as prices and each beer's alcohol content.

Behold:

A cafe with lots of choices, which you can SEE

4. Proximity to Warasw. People live in Warsaw mostly because that's where the money is. Jobs, stores, etc. No one lives in Warsaw for the culture, civic beauty, or housing options. Enter Żyrardów. My friend commuted by train from Żyrardów to central Warsaw for a year with no problems other than the tram delays which hold up the entire city from time to time. It's a quick and easy ride, similar to the New York Metro North line for commuters who live upstate or in Connecticut . All it takes is a small shift in attitude and suddenly people who once found train commutes unthinkable are finding themselves escaping the urban hustle and bustle for the peace and quiet of their country homes. Same goes for weekend visitors looking for a quick getaway.


Żyrardów doesn't yet appear in any tourist guidebooks, and with good reason. It doesn't have any hotels or guesthouses and it has only a handful of eating establishments. Nonetheless, my money is on this town becoming a weekend getaway for Poles and enterprising tourists in the next few years. All it would take is a little interest, then one or two B&Bs will open, and suddenly Żyrardów will be Discovered. Just you wait.

Łazienki Park

After hearing from every Pole I know that Łazienki Park is the most beautiful place in all of Warsaw, I finally ventured down to the park and palace, which used to be the summer home of Poland's royalty.

After a treacherous journey (we are talking about Warsaw, afterall) which involved a long walk, a metro ride, a couple dark, abandoned, graffiti-sprayed underground tunnels, unfinished sidewalks, and a slippery cobblestone road, I entered the gates of the park.

I wasn't exactly in the best of moods, but my annoyance dissolved instantly. Stunning. Beautifully manicured lawns, lush flowerbeds, clear lakes and romantic buildings with paths crisscrossing throughout, I can see why Łazienki Park is such a big deal here.

Inexplicably, one can find peacocks wandering around the park. They make for excellent entertainment--and I don't just mean the inevitable question, "Why are there peacocks in Poland?" to which the only response I've heard is "I have no idea." During my visit, several peacocks had gathered in a small plaza. I unfortunately only had my cell phone, so my ability to transmit the experience is sub-par and a bit washed out.

No, I can't explain why there are peacocks in Warsaw

We visitors were witness to the miracle of life - a single peahen wandered among the various peacocks, acting unimpressed.

This peacock did have marginal success with her , but I'll spare you the pornographic details

One word of caution: peacocks can be aggressive, screeching creatures. Especially towards unassuming Americans who venture too close trying to take a photo. Yes, that's right--this peacock yelled at me (in Polish? hard to say). I'm sure he was quite satisfied when I emitted shriek and ran away.

My assailant

Peacock terror aside, the park is truly lovely and provides a nice contrast to the rest of the city.

Eastern Europe Bath Houses Faceoff

I'm hardly the authority on public bathing, but I do make an effort to visit spas or bath houses wherever I travel. In most Western European cities, spas are prohibitively expensive, but in Eastern Europe you can get quite a deal - an hour's massage for $30 or a day in thermal pools for $15. Quality varies widely between different locales and cities, however.

Turkish Baths are quite well-known, and have inspired a number of homages in NYC, most notably the Russian & Turkish Baths on E 10th St, which upon entering you feel you've time traveled to medieval times. The various dry and wet heat rooms are rustic, packed with sweaty bodies, and often garnished with a shirtless Turk whipping someone in the corner. Highly recommended, if you're into back-in-time-while-scantily-clad experiences.


In Istanbul, however, the "authentic" Turkish baths feel much less...well...authentic. The most famous and highly recommended bath house Cagaloglu Hamami (included in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, it proudly proclaims) is beautiful, as is most of Istanbul. The actual bath experience is a bit underwhelming - you lie on a large round stone slab while an attendant gives you a 15 minute scrub with soap and a loofah. It's a nice piece of history - and it's always heartening to visit a place where cleanliness really is next to Godliness - but as a sheer bathing ritual, it's not particularly spectacular. I would never, ever, in the slightest way discourage someone from visiting Turkey--it truly was one of the most arresting places I've ever been--but perhaps take a peek at the bath house and keep walking.

The place to indulge in a full-out bathing experience is the Szechnyi Bath & Spa in Budapest.

Pure Awesome

A bathing complex housed in a beautiful 19th Century building. It holds 12 thermal baths of different temperatures, some inside and some outside, plus several saunas/steam rooms as well as massages. The best part is the sense that tons of Hungarians frequent this place as part of their regular lives (the place offers weekly and monthly passes). The cafeteria doesn't serve wheat grass shots, but rather beer and sausage. I had one of the best massages of my life there. And the whole thing was very reasonably priced.

The large outdoor pool (below) is reminiscent of Iceland's much-touted Blue Lagoon, but Budapest wins hands down. It's cheaper, more low-key, offers more variety, and the large outdoor pool doesn't give you the chills (though arguably I did visit the Blue Lagoon during a mild hurricane).

Budapest: Szechnyi Baths

Iceland: Blue Lagoon

I realize it's blasphemy to live in Poland and not visit a Polish spa, but I haven't yet. I'm remedying the situation next weekend with a trip to the city of Szczecin (on the German border), about which I know very little other than that there are reasonably priced hotels and spa services. Sweet! I'll let you know how it compares to gilded Budapest.