Living in Księży Młyn, Łódź

Księży Młyn is what is left of one of the largest industrial complexes in nineteenth-century Europe. Karl Wilhelm Scheibler built a textile empire here, and at its peak the complex employed five thousand people in a single facility, with its own housing, school, hospital, fire station and shops. The mills closed, the buildings stayed, and the quarter has been restored.

What it is

Rows of long, low red-brick workers' houses on straight streets, with the huge mill buildings and the Scheibler palace nearby. The scale is unusual: it was designed as a complete settlement, and it still reads as one.

Much of it has been renovated, with cultural institutions, studios and cafés moving into the industrial buildings, and the housing itself is sought after.

Who lives here

A mix of long-standing residents in the workers' houses and newer arrivals attracted by the character of the place, including a noticeable creative and academic presence. The number of flats is small, so the market here is thin.

What it's like during the day

Quiet and photogenic. Visitors come to see the architecture, but not in numbers that disturb anything. The streets are low-rise and calm, which is a striking contrast with the tenements a few minutes away.

What it's like in the evening

Very quiet, with a few places to eat and drink in the converted buildings. For anything more you go into the centre, which is close.

Getting around

Trams run nearby and the centre is a short ride or a twenty minute walk. The ground is flat and cycling is easy.

Eating and shopping

Limited on the spot: a few cafés and small shops. Daily shopping means going a few streets out or into the centre. This is the usual trade-off for a small preserved quarter.

When NOT to pick it

If you need choice, because there are not many flats and they do not come up often. If you want shops and services on the doorstep. It is the right choice if you want to live somewhere genuinely distinctive and are prepared to wait for something to come up.