Stary Żoliborz is a neighborhood of Żoliborz incorporated to Warsaw in 1916. It`s one of several Warsaw districts developed during the interwar period and settled mostly by middle class and elite residents. It`s still known as the district of the Intelligentsia.
The first significant development took place in early 1920 when the Warsaw Housing Co-operative built its first colonies with simple block buildings with affordable apartments for the working class. These buildings were designed so well that nowadays students of architecture learn about them at universities. Architects tried to provide the best living conditions for everybody with good access to sunlight, green areas and infrastructure including kindergardens, schools, theaters and cinemas.
A few years later a family housing development began which attracted Polish Intelligentsia. There are three essential areas that are easy to reach from Wilsona Square (Plac Wilsona metro station). All of them are unique and contain interesting examples of neoclassical and modernist architecture designed by prominent Polish architects.
The Żoliborz Oficerski (Officer Żoliborz) is located behind the Żeromskiego Park which is the most beautiful park in this area. The best parts of this neighborhood you will find by exploring streets like Śmiała, Kaniowska, Czarnieckiego and Plac Słoneczny. This area is full of neoclassical villas from the 1920s. The Żoliborz Dziennikarski (Journalists Żoliborz) is located between Krasińskiego, Sułkowskiego, Karpińskiego and Dziennikarska streets. Here you will see more avant-garde modernist architecture from the 1930s, especially along Promyka, Tucholska and Dziennikarska streets. Żoliborz Urzędniczy (State Żoliborz) is surrounded by streets: Brodzińskiego, Wieniawskiego and Plac Henkla. Here you should definitely see the Brukalskich Villa from 1928 considered as the first avant-gard house in Poland (Niegolewskiego 8) and more traditional houses on Wieniawskiego, Brodzińskiego and Wyspiańskiego streets. In this area you should also visit the Stanisława Kostki Church built in 1930s (Stanisława Hozjusza 2).
To find some older historical site go to see the Cytadela Warszawska. It`s a 19th-century fortress built on the order of Tsar Nicholas I to control the city after the suppression of the 1830 November Uprising organized against the Russian occupiers. It`s located just next to Żoliborz Oficerski between Kaniowska and Wybrzeże Gdańskie streets.
Żoliborz is an important place on Warsaw`s restaurant map. The Kawiarnia Fawory is an easy going club-cafe with organic food. It`s famous for delicious breakfasts (Mickiewicza 21). The Żywiciel is a very popular restaurant with Polish cuisine including breakfasts served between 9:00 – 12:00 pm during the week and till 1:00 pm on weekends (Plac Inwalidów 10). On summer weekends there is a popular food event called the Breakfast Market (Targ Śniadaniowy, Aleja Wojska Polskiego 4, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm). It looks like a big picnic, people sit on blankets or beach chairs and enjoy time with friends and families. For winter the Targ Śniadaniowy moves indoors to the Sokolnickiego Fort in Żeromskiego Park (Stefana Czarnieckiego 51).
