Anděl

Anděl is a smaller, but very busy, neighborhood in Praha 5, completely surrounded by Smíchov. The neighborhood's boundaries are V Botanice and Kartouzská on the north, Městský Okruh on the west, Ostrovského and Vltavská on the south, and the Vltava River on the west. Located southwest of the city center and on the left bank of the Vltava River, the area, as well as Smíchov as a whole, was previously quite rough. In the years after the fall of communism, the neighborhood has changed completely. New commercial buildings such as Zlatý Anděl and Nový Smíchov now dominate Anděl's skyline, and help contribute to the district's 24/7 nature. Even through all this change, most of the neighborhood's original residents remain, in addition to many new ones. This gives the area lots of variety, with buildings ranging from lavish Nový Smíchov to poorly maintained tenements all existing within a few blocks of each other. An interesting part of the neighborhood are the extremely wide sidewalks in front of Zlatý Anděl, which function as the heart of all of Praha 5. Beggars, street performers, information kiosks, and other essential ingredients of a bustling urban center all call this crowded piece of land home. On Fridays, a farmers market is present in the space, selling fresh fruits and vegetables, but also things such as towels and baked goods. Housing is made up of mostly older, first republic walk-up apartments, many of which have commercial spaces on the ground floors. Businesses are numerous, and include more upscale, specialized places, as well as more simple, generalized convenience stores. Nový Smíchov and the immediate vicinity has more upscale shops, such as shoe stores, department stores, and fancy restaurants. Farther from the center of the district, one finds more typical neighborhood businesses, such as bars, convenience stores, and grocery stores. The neighborhood is fairly walkable, though biking is not as prevalent. Putting bike racks in the central parts of Anděl, as well as bike lanes on side streets such as Preslova and Svornosti, would help popularize cycling in the neighborhood. As far as transit goes, Smíchov as a whole, as well as Anděl, have some of the best transit networks in the city outside Staré Město. The main hubs are Anděl Station and the Na Knížecí transit center just south of the station, and Smíchovské Nádraží a few blocks south of the Anděl-Smíchov border. Metro line B, regular, but still frequent, tram routes 7 and 14, weekday only tram routes 4 and 6, arterial tram routes 9, 10, 12, 16, and 20, Metrobus routes 137, 167, and 191, standard bus routes 120 and 131, long distance buses run by Student Agency and ČSAD, night bus routes 501 and 504, and night tram routes 54, 58, and 59 all serve Anděl and/or Na Knížecí, while Metro line B, long distance buses run by Student Agency and ČSAD, long distance trains run by Student Agency and ČD, Esko regional train lines S6, S7, and S65, regional bus lines 314, 317, 318, 320, 321, 334, 338, 361, and 390, Metrobus lines 118, 125, 196, 197, and 253, standard bus lines 105, 129, 241, 244, weekday only tram route 6, standard, but frequent, tram line 14, and arterial tram routes 12 and 20 all serve Smíchovské Nádraží.

Slovany

Slovany is a neighborhood in Southeastern Plzeň. It lies entirely within Plzeň 2, and is quite walkable and dense. The boundaries that seem to fit Slovany are the railroad tracks to the north, the Radbuza and Úhlava Rivers to the west, K Starým Valům, Nepomucká, V Polích, and Na Bořích to the south, and the Úslava River to the east. Within these boundaries, a lot of different housing types can be found, and within each a different social class or family type. Closest to the railroad tracks is the oldest part of the neighborhood, where turn of the century walk up apartment buildings with grand interior staircases dominate. All kinds of people live in this section of the city, particularly couples without children and pensioners. Businesses here consist mostly of corner stores and small shops, though I did notice an Albert supermarket on Koterovská, between Plzenecká and Sladkovského. Something interesting about most buildings throughout Slovany, though, is the lack of graffiti or peeling stucco and paint on walls. Most residences and businesses were in immaculate condition! Pedestrians are clearly treated with respect in Slovany, as even major roads, such as Slovanská or Koterovská, were narrow enough to slow cars down, and could be easily crossed. After the oldest zone nearest the railroad tracks comes the zone of paneláks. This zone is probably the most diverse, and is inhabited by people of all incomes and family sizes. These apartment blocks make up the bulk of Slovany's buildings, and are quite nice. They are not the tallest paneláks in Eastern Europe, but not the shortest either, with most being between five and ten stories tall, which makes them human scaled and visually appealing. The ugly gray concrete of the buildings is painted over here, but not all of them were just painted in vertical or horizontal stripes of color like in Praha. Some had more organic patterns of color, some had diagonal stripes across the building, and one building was even painted to look like rays of a setting sun! This not only makes the buildings more visually interesting than if they were still in the original gray color, but also gives residents a sense of place. People can now say things like, "yeah, I live in the bright green one with gray diagonal stripes," instead of, "I live at 94 Koterovská". The third and final zone in Slovany is the zone of single family houses and two to three story walk up apartments that lie on the border with Černice, a district at the edge of the city. Homes here were nice looking, though more sidewalks are definitely needed. While most Slavic cities suffer from bad bicycle connections, most of Plzeň (other than Vnitřní Město) actually has a well developed network of high quality protected bike lanes that offer direct paths to many areas of the city, including Slovany. The main improvement I would make to the bike network is adding a few smaller, less elaborate, unprotected bike lanes for short rides within the neighborhood, particularly on roads that don't go towards the city center. Transit in Slovany is really good, with České Drahy providing intercity and regional service from Plzeň Hlavní Nádraží and Plzeň-Koterov. Local transportation is provided by PMDP, which operates trams, buses, and trolleybuses within Slovany, Plzeň, and most nearby villages. Frequent tram routes 1 and 2, frequent trolleybus routes 12 and 13, and frequent bus route 30 serve Slovany, as well as infrequent trolleybus routes 10 and 14, and infrequent bus routes 22, 23, 29, 31, 35, 51 and 57.

Vnitřní Město

Vnitřní Město, or "Inner City" in English, is the geographic and commercial center of Plzeň, as well as its oldest part. The city was first granted a civic charter by King Václav II in 1295, and some buildings in this part of the city are really that old. I would define Vnitřní Město s the Mže River to the north, the Radbuza River to the east, Americká to the south, and Sady Pětatřicátníků to the north. Dominating the district is the Church of Saint Bartholomew, which has the tallest spire in all of the Czech Republic. Other interesting sites include the Pilsner Beer Museum, the network of underground tunnels built in the Middle Ages for storage and shelter, the old water tower, plague column, and town hall. The small neighborhood remains fairly mixed income, and the architecture in the neighborhood is visually appealing, and each building is slightly different from the next. Businesses also vary quite a lot, as this is the commercial heart of the city. So, in addition to restaurants and cafés, shoe stores and tea shops can be found on the ground floors of buildings as well. Almost all residential buildings are older, from between the Middle Ages to the 1920s and 1930s. Of note is the fact that sidewalks here are made of very large, flat stones, instead of the more traditional cobblestone sidewalks in city centers of most other large Czech cities. The main things I would suggest would be a conservation district, if one is not already in place, to protect this part of the city's historical character, and also some bicycle improvements. A unique feature of Plzeň's Vnitřní Město is its gridded streets, which most other Czech old towns don't have. This would mean that bike improvements that were put in place on side streets would still get people to their destinations quickly and efficiently.

Dejvice

Dejvice is a wealthy neighborhood in Praha 6, in between Prague's main airport and the city center. The neighborhood's main square, which is really more of a large traffic circle, Vítězné Náměstí, functions as an important transit hub and the heart of all of Praha 6. Around Vítězné Náměstí, upscale apartments and businesses exist, catering to middle and upper class citizens of Prague. Businesses here include fancy restaurants, convenience stores and markets, and other, miscellaneous shops, such as stationery stores. Businesses also exist in other parts of Dejvice, but there aren't as many, and they are almost all supermarkets, convenience stores, and neighborhood restaurants and bars. In terms of housing, older, 1920s era apartments dominate in the center of the neighborhood, and towards Bubeneč and Podbaba. Newer, 1950s through 1980s era paneláks line Evropská towards Veleslavín, Vokovice, and Liboc. Towards Hanspaulka and Horoměřice, large, but still pedestrian friendly and urban, villas built in the First Republic line most streets. Most of central Dejvice actually looks a little like Paris, with its boulevards, luxurious newer apartments, and boulevards. These parts of Dejvice were designed by Czech architect Antonín Engel. In addition to wealthier Czechs and expats, Dejvice also attracts students due to the presence of a few universities within its borders. I would mostly propose better bike infrastructure for the neighborhood, as well as more affordable housing. The area is served by many transit lines, including some Esko routes via Praha-Dejvice. Tram routes 5, 8, 20, and 26 all serve Dejvice with frequent service, and Line A of the Praha Metro also serves Dejvice via the Dejvická and Bořislavka stations. Metrobus routes 107, 131, 143, and 180, in addition to regular bus routes 116, 147, 160, 161, and 168, as well as regional bus routes, all serve Dejvice as well.

Staré Město & Josefov

Staré Město (Old Town) is the oldest part of Praha on the right bank of the Vltava River. Historically the Czech part of Prague, Staré Město was originally formed out of settlements surrounding a marketplace in the 9th century. Staré Město's boundaries are where the city walls and moat used to exist, which are the roads Revoluční, Na Příkopě, and Národní, as well as the Vltava River. Much like in Malá Strana, working class locals are all but absent from the apartments here, as gentrification is in full swing in these parts of Praha. So, I would suggest that new construction, or apartment renovations, that are done in Staré Město or Josefov be required to include some subsidized units. The area is very walkable and transit friendly, but biking in this part of the city is all but impossible, so I would also add some asphalt bike lanes on some streets. Much like in Hradčany there is no street grid at all, and most streets are short and very narrow. A lot of Prague's tourist attractions are in Staré Město, such as the Church of Our Lady before Týn, Old Town Square, the Charles Bridge, the Old Town Hall, and the Prague Astronomical Clock (Pražský Orloj). Businesses are not very varied, with most catering to tourists, and consisting of gift shops, travel agency windows, and restaurants, which means that residents who want, say, milk and eggs, must leave the neighborhood to get such simple commodities. The neighborhood is served by many transit options, including Metro Line A, many tram routes, and a few infrequent and frequent (Metrobus) bus routes. Josefov, the former Jewish area of the city, is an enclave in the northwestern part of Old Town. Today, the area is basically an extension of Old Town, with very few Jewish people still residing in the neighborhood. Most businesses in Josefov are luxury clothing stores, which means that Josefov, along with Anděl and Vinohrady, is one of the main shopping districts in Praha. Some historical landmarks are in the neighborhood as well, such as the Old New Synagogue. Housing stock in both areas used to be quite run down, but most buildings have now been covered in bright, new stucco and have been renovated.

Hradčany

Hradčany is a neighborhood in Praha 1, near Malá Strana. The name basically means "castle district", due to the face that it was built in the area immediately surrounding Prague Castle. Although many areas can quite touristy, apartments here are still affordable, and many are owned or rented by middle class, longtime residents, unlike in nearby Malá Strana or Staré Město. The boundaries of the area that seem to be right to me are Milady Horákové to the north, Chotkova to the east, the many gardens southeast of the castle, Ke Hradu, Úvoz, and Dlabačov to the south, and Na Malovance and Patočkova to the west. Housing consists almost entirely of older apartment buildings, some of which are mixed-use. Most of these buildings are about 5 stories tall, though some are shorter, particularly on Nový Svět. There is virtually no streetgrid, and most streets are extremely narrow, winding lanes, which makes driving nearly impossible. Consequentially, the area is very walkable, and has a high proportion of transit users. Most of the neighborhood is situated on a hill, and many parks and tourist attractions are in this district, such as Pražský Hrad, Katedrála Svatého Víta, the Loreta, and Královský Letohrádek. Businesses are a mix of gift shops and tourist-oriented restaurants and things like convenience stores, grocery stores, and bars. I would suggest instituting rent control for some, but not all, properties in the neighborhood, as well as creating more pedestrian connections across Jelení Příkop in a north-south manner. Transit in the area is quite good, with Hradčanská station on Line A of the Praha Metro being the main transit hub. In addition to Line A, the arterial tram segment of the 1 and 25 also serves the station, as do frequent tram routes 5, 8, 18, 20, and 26. Metrobus routes 131 and 184, as well as night buses and trams, also serve Hradčanská. The Praha-Dejvice railway station, located on the boundary of Hradčany and Dejvice, serves Esko trains, and regional buses stop at Hradčanská as well. Arterial tram route 22, Metrobus routes 143 and 180, and standard bus route 168 all serve other parts of the neighborhood. I would also suggest adding more bike lanes in the area. 

Holešovice

Holešovice is a formally very industrial neighborhood in Praha 7. The area has a lot of good transit connections, including the arterial tram segment 1 and 25, as well as the arterial tram route 17. In addition to this, minor, but frequent, tram routes 8, 12, 14, 24, and 26. Metrobus route 112, as well as standard bus routes 156 and 201. Most importantly, Nádraží Holešovice and Vltavská stations on Line C serve the neighborhood. In addition to this, Esko routes R4, S4, and S41 connect to Line C at Nádraží Holešovice, and route S5 serves Nádraží Bubny in central Holešovice. My main transit suggestion would be to remove the park and ride at Nádraží Holešovice, as it uses up valuable land in an urban, walkable neighborhood without need for it. Another, more minor, suggestion I have is to improve the transit connections at Strossmayerovo Náměstí. Although a major transit hub, the area is currently little more than some tram stops. I would suggest expanding the platforms, widening the sidewalks, and putting in enhanced shelters with LED information screens at each stop on the square. Anyway, Holešovice itself is quite nice nowadays, and is dominated by the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua. Businesses in Holešovice are quite varied, with many convenience stores, markets, and bars scattered throughout Holešovice, especially near Strossmayerovo Náměstí. In addition to these neighborhood businesses, there is still a fairly strong industrial base, especially along Bubenské Nábřeží. The National Gallery in Prague, as well as the Holešovice Exhibition Hall, are both located here as well. Housing stock is made up mostly of older apartments from the 18th to early 20th century, with less elaborate, more simple outsides than in, for example, Malá Strana. However, there are also a few paneláks and newer apartments as well. A big problem is the many surface parking lots in the area, especially in the southeastern corner of the neighborhood. I would propose turning these spaces into parks, but more interactive and playful than the formal French gardens which Praha has enough of already. Interactive fountains and playgrounds could help draw in children, and seating designed for social interaction and spreading out could be made for their parental guardians. In addition to this, a small area with large, mature trees for sitting and people watching would be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, as well as possibly a small skate park or something like that, if space permitted, as I saw no skate parks in the entire city of Praha during my two and a half week stay there. A really great, vibrant neighborhood with a close proximity to the Old Town.

Kobylisy

Kobylisy is a lower middle to upper middle class neighborhood in Praha 8. The area is effectively made up of two separate neighborhoods, Ďáblice and Kobylisy. Ďáblice is an area with lots of paneláks, whereas Kobylisy is an older area of duplexes and walk up apartments. So, I would propose splitting them into two areas along Čumpelíková. Kobylisy is also home to the Kobylisy Shooting Range, a place where many Czechoslovaks were murdered by Nazis during World War II. Housing consists mostly of duplexes and houses built during the First Republic, though some walk up apartments are present as well, mostly on Klapkova and near the Kobylisy Metro Station on Line C. A few paneláks line Horňátecká and Pod Sídlištěm, but otherwise aren't very numerous in Kobylisy proper. One really nice thing to see in the area is that arterial roads are much more pedestrian friendly than many other large roads in Praha. Sidewalks are wide, crosswalks frequent, and speed limits low on most of these roads, except for Horňátecká. The many types of housing in Kobylisy help create a fairly diverse area, and a lively transit hub. In addition to Line C, the 3, 10, and 17 trams stop at Kobylisy, all with frequent service. Frequent, "Metrobus" routes 102, 144, 177, 183, and 200, standard city bus routes 152, 162, and 169, and regional bus routes 370, 371, 372, 373, and 374 also serve Kobylisy Station. And that's just the daytime services! In addition to routes serving Kobylisy Station, Metrobus route 136 and standard bus route 295 also serve the neighborhood, though not the station proper. Apartments on Klapkova and near Kobylisy Station usually include ground level commercial space, which gives the neighborhood gathering places, such as little markets and restaurants. Bigger commercial spaces, such as banks and computer stores, are near Kobylisy Station. The main suggestion I have for Kobylisy would be to establish some sort of historic district or the like for some, but not all, of the duplexes and homes built during the First Republic, as their proximity to a metro station could cause them to be destroyed. Finally, I would add bike lanes on Horňátecká, which is definitely wide enough for them.

Vokovice

Vokovice is a medium density area in Praha 6, which is in the space in between Divoká Šárka and Evropská across from Veleslavín. Thanks to the recent extension of Line A of the Prague Metro from Dejvická to Nemocnice Motol, Vokovice is now in a much more central and connected position transit wise, with the 119 and 142 Metrobus (frequent bus) routes and the 20 and 26 tram routes (both frequent) serving the neighborhood. However, the main transit line serving Vokovice is Line A via the Nádraží Veleslavín station, from which one can get to the city center in a mere ten minutes! Also, the 119 goes straight to Václav Havel Airport Prague, which makes Vokovice just one ride away from the airport. Vokovice's main artery, Evropská, has fast moving traffic and some automobile oriented businesses, but is still fairly easy to cross and has ample sidewalks, as well as some pedestrian oriented buildings. The rest of Vokovice is extremely walkable, with narrow streets, ample sidewalk, and businesses and residences fronting the street. A lot of types of housing can be found in Vokovice, which allows one to "age in place", and makes the neighborhood fairly diverse. Larger houses and villas, duplexes, older townhouses, walk up apartments, newer high rise apartments, and Cold War era Paneláks can all be seen on Vokovice's streets. Businesses also vary quite a bit. On Evropská, formerly Leninová, larger businesses such as supermarkets and car dealerships can be found. In other areas of Vokovice, businesses such as convenience stores, neighborhood markets, and florists are mixed in between the residential properties. I would suggest adopting some new building requirements for new businesses on Evropská to make them more pedestrian friendly, and lowering Evropská's speed limit as a more short term solution. In addition, I would add bike lanes to Evropská, and to other roads in Vokovice, such as V Středu from Divoká Šárka (where the lanes would connect to existing bike paths) to Vokovická. The last place I would add bike lanes would be from Půlkruhová to V Středu on Na Lužci, which would then continue from V Středu to Evropská on V Nových Vokovicích.

Malá Strana

Malá Strana, or Lesser Quarter/Side in English, is the historically German piece of Prague situated on the left bank of the Vltava River, or Moldau River in English. Founded in 1257, the neighborhood grew rapidly after the building of the Charles Bridge connecting Malá Strana and Staré Město, which allowed for quick and easy travel to the city center. Housing dates mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries, and is in the baroque style. Almost all buildings are medium density and mixed use walk-up apartment buildings. The neighborhood is mostly built on a hill which slopes down toward the commercial district at Malostranské Náměstí and Karlův Most. In the center of Malostranské Náměstí lies an impressive baroque church, Kostel Svatého Mikuláše. One thing which is a real problem in the neighborhood is the displacement of many locals due to rising rent prices as tourists move into the neighborhood. This needs to be fixed by instituting rent control for residents that still reside in the neighborhood, and have so since before 1990. One nice thing is the many various designs and colors on all the buildings, and the pleasant parks in the area, which range from forests to formal gardens. Businesses, however, are not very diverse, with few options to buy basic essentials and fresh produce, but lots of gift shops and restaurants. Many of the Czech government buildings, such as the senate building, are in Malá Strana as well. The neighborhood is not very bike friendly, but is quite transit friendly, with the 5, 6, 9, 12, 18, 20, and 22 trams all running through Malá Strana, the 192 bus running entirely in Malá Strana, and line A of the Praha Metro stopping at Malostranská. Biking in the area remains a challenge, however. To fix this, I would create designated "bike corridors"along less busy, narrow roads unsuitable for cars anyway.