Cathedral View Studio near the residence of Albert Einstein

Description

Centrally-located 37 sq m (398 sq ft) penthouse with a 30 sq m (323 sq ft) terrace facing two large parks and overviewing Prague roofs, hills and the St. Vitus Cathedral, among other churches in the city of hundred spires. A truly beautiful urban setting with all the amenities. Elevator available (8 steps from the street to reach the elevator). Brand new bathroom with walk-in shower. The terrace with northern exposure always offers partial shade and is a perfect haven on a hot Summer day. A large park in front of it provides peace and privacy. While the terrace faces the street side, the bedroom has a window facing South into the courtyard with a private garden. The kitchen is equipped with microwave oven and induction stove top. With central heating, this unit is ready for a year-long use. Common areas of the house could use some update but it is a well built house from 1950's in a good condition. The unit is nicely restored but there are still detail to work on (mainly the terrace floor and outside façade). The neighborhood is flat, ideal for walking or biking and offers many green areas. The very popular waterfront (Náplavka) is 2 blocks away. For those who need to use a car, parking (free after 6 PM & weekends) is located on the square down below. Bike sharing is available throughout the city. Tram stop with 5 lines is 1 minute away. New supermarket is 1 minute away. HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Smíchov used to be a separate city with industrial character until joining the Great Prague in 1922. In 1850's, Franz Ringhoffer built the largest company in Austrio-Hungarian Empire here, manufacturing railroad cars. You may see a monument to him on a façade of the local shopping mall. It was also the same baron Ringhoffer, then the mayor of Smíchov, who provided funds to build a local small synagogue (rebuilt in a functionalist style in 1931). Today, the synagogue is not open for public, as it serves as the archive of the Jewish museum. A shop in the synagogue displays Buddha statues and magic stones -- a rather fitting illustration of the Atheist Czech population approach to religion. Albert Einstein lived one block away from my home in 1911-1912 (you may see his bust there on the façade in Lesnická street) and walked every day across the Palacký bridge to Albertov to give his lectures at the University. Of course, like all the other intellectuals, he would often attend Prague plentiful cafés in the neighborhood (Savoy, Slavia, Louvre…) for discussions and social life. Also, it was right here in 1912 that Einstein began to think about the time as the 4th dimension. In 1980, the Golden Angel guesthouse located at the busy transit intersection (which turned out to be the busiest of all Prague, in 2014) was torn down to give the way to the new subway station. Today, we can see a modern glass structure here by the French architect Jean Nouvel. In 2020's, a development boom takes place near Andel, as the former freight terminal (Smíchov City) and distillery (Lihovar) are being turned into huge condo developments. Furthermore, the local train station (to be renamed Terminal Smíchov) is going to integrate the train and inter-city bus transit in a new modern hub. A new one-mile long pedestrian park area will also be developed here. There are many green areas in Smíchov around the Andel area, which is also the reminder of the times of the University Botanical Gardens (which eventually moved across the river, to the Charles University campus of Albertov). The Kinský Park is a forgotten oasis connected to the Petrín Hill which can eventually take you to the Prague Castle on an easy stroll through the forest. It is a very walking-friendly area, but if you cannot walk too much, you'll take advantage of the remarkably well working public transit. JUST REMEMBER: Tramways have the right of way on crosswalks!