Before I begin I have to admit – I am not the most objective judge of this particular street. I have lived on this street since I was five (and a half!) years old. I grew up on the street. I love this street. But still, even if you don’t have any sentimental connection to Hoża Street, I think the street’s sweetness is easily noticeable.
‘Hoża’ in Polish means beautiful, blooming and so in the very center of the center of Warsaw you’ll find one of the tree-y-ist streets in Warsaw. In the spring the entire length of Hoża is covered in a canopy of buds and green leaves and in the fall bright yellows and burnt oranges.
It’s a small street and of course it has changed a lot over the years. Shops have come and gone, kids have grown up. Now Hoża has a bit of the old and a bit of the new. From the cheese factory-turned-modern-cultural-hub Hoża 51, to an old secondhand bookshop, from a hip sneaker store, to a good ol’ shoemaker, from a beautiful brick nunnery with extraordinary garden (sometimes you can sneak a peek!), to popular television studio, from the physics department of Warsaw University, to a great poster gallery… And there is more popping up all the time – something for everyone, i.e.: for vegans: Krowarzywa and Youmiko Vegan Sushi!
Of course every street is unique and holds its own magic, but isn’t Hoża just beautiful? Check it out for yourself!