Chapter 3
19 August 1996 -Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic
After having moved into one of the most desired neighbourhoods in Prague, changes in landscape and residential demographic become clear to the local residents over time.
Vinohrady has always been seen as one of the most desired neighborhoods in Prague, so when I had the chance to move into an apartment near Havlíčkovy sady (Havlíček's Orchards), I considered myself very lucky.
In the years between the Second World War and the Revolution, all of the bourgeois families had been stripped of their properties and so the neighbourhood was not so well maintained, some of the buildings being quite damaged at the time of my arrival.
However, the area had maintained its reputation, so when I got a job in the local government, I decided to use the money I raised and received from my parents to move to Vinohrady.
I can say that my time here has been very pleasant so far, but the last year proved to be much harder. The state has restituted a lot of the buildings and land in Vinohrady. It seems that most of these people do not want us to live here anymore, as they have struck deals with Western investors in order to sell most of the buildings in Vinohrady. Most of the investors turn a lot of residential buildings into restaurants, bars and also boutiques, while some of them combine apartments in order to resell them as big and luxurious condominiums.
Most of my neighbors had already left after the new owners of the buildings informed them of the new plans for the neighbourhood, and it seems that my time in Vinohrady has almost come to its end as well, as my building has also been restituted. I don’t know what they’re planning to do with my apartment, but I assume in the near future some young foreigner that works for a big company will be living here.
In hindsight, it is probably for the better… I personally don’t really go to any of the new places that have opened up here in the past months.
- Entry by Eliška, 37 y.o.
Researcher's Notes.
The Czech Republic was one of the countries that experienced a relatively timely transition to a market-based economy. This prompted many foreign corporations to enter this new market, establishing offices and sending executives to live and work from Prague. Expecting this influx of affluent foreigners, investors sought to regenerate select areas of the inner-city, in part renovating certain residential buildings, and in part tearing others down to make room for new commercial spaces. Such efforts would also, however, result in the displacement of some existing tenants who were effectively priced out.
struck deals with Western investors:
An example of the first-wave gentrification in the post-socialist city Prague: the Western investors focused on specific, small neighborhoods to redevelop them, thus facilitating sporadic gentrification throughout the city.
restaurants, bars and also boutiques:
This is especially interesting from a post-socialist perspective. Commercialisation was often one of the first ways in which areas were gentrified, sometimes even before buildings were renovated or rebuilt. This shift from a communist / socialist to a more capitalist and consumerist focus often signaled the start of gentrification in a particular area.
had already left:
Here, an important aspect of resident mobility is described. Neighbors moving out of the area and the following disruption of a sense of community and belonging makes residents more inclined to also leave the neighborhood since they are less willing to stay living in the area, and thus facilitates gentrification.