A Warsaw ‘hood reinvents itself

Mention to Polish friends that you’re headed over to Warsaw’s Praga neighborhood and their eyes will get wide, as though you suggested wandering the Bronx alone at night with $100 bills taped to your jacket. “Why would you do that? It’s full of thieves! Surely, you will be mugged.” A typical and somewhat understandable response given that for many years Praga was one of the city’s rougher neighborhoods and considered the Bronx of Warsaw. Not anymore.

An artsy vibe

Praga has much of the character that modern Warsaw lacks, even if the 40 years of Communist-era neglect have yet to be completely reversed. Spared from the World War II bombs that devastated the rest of the city, Praga has turn-of-the-last-century tenements and aging brown brick factories that are providing safe haven for actors and artists fleeing Warsaw’s rising real estate prices.

A sign of rebirth

The neighborhood’s hidden gem is the refurbished Fabryka Trzciny. Built in 1916 to produce marmalade, the blocky brick factory has also done time as headquarters of the Polish rubber industry, cranking out Chuck Taylor facsimiles (the sneakers are known as “peepeegies”) for the Eastern Bloc. It was requisitioned by the Nazis during World War II, then by the Communists, who did what Communists do best -- let it slide into decay.

The savior

In stepped impresario Wojciech Trzcinski, who renovated 2,000 square feet of the old factory in 2003, transforming it into a venue with theater, gallery, bar, stage, meeting rooms and a restaurant serving excellent MoPo (modern Polish) dishes, while leaving much of its industrial accouterments in place.

Light show

Thousands of pink-lighted bottles of denatured alcohol form the wall behind the bar at the Denaturat stage, where concerts and private parties are held. Teatr Nowy, also housed in the complex, stages a variety of performance art.

Vodka and movies

Fabryka Trzciny isn’t the only old Praga factory being repurposed. The Fabryka Wodek Koneser not only makes Poland’s famous Zytnia vodka, but it also has housed the Wytwornia Theatre since late 2005. A stage for plays by some of the country’s leading dramatists and a cinema showing small independent films take up part of the factory.

Where to stay

Hotel Rialto is an intimate Art Deco boutique hotel in the center of town. Doubles from $175; 011-48-22-584-8700, www.hotelrialto.com.pl. Hotel Le Regina, in Warsaw’s Old City, is housed in a refurbished palace. Rooms open onto a lush courtyard. Double rooms from $314; 011-48-22-531-6060, www.leregina.com.

Getting there

From LAX, Lufthansa, Air France, British, KLM, United and Continental have connecting flights (change of plane). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $705.

To learn more

Tourism information is available at www.warsawtour.pl or

www.warsawtour.bptnet.pl.

- CHRISTY QUIRK