Romana

The Romana Square area borders two of Bucharest's key office zones, the CBD and Central area, where over 75,000 people work.

District 1 covers the northern and north-western part of Bucharest. With 264,185 residents, it is the least populous of the six administrative sectors, accounting for 12.5% of Bucharest's population of 2,108,049. At 68 km², however, it is by far the largest by land area — more than a quarter of the city's 236 km² — and holds 163,088 dwellings, or 15.1% of the capital's housing stock of 1,082,392.

About the area

The area, at a glance

Piața Romană means the authentic centre: interwar buildings, a university, immediate access to the metro and to the whole Magheru–Victoriei perimeter. The area attracts urban buyers and investors betting on central rentals. Renovated apartments in solid buildings are the most sought after.

History

The junction took shape in 1898, when Bulevardul Colței, renamed Lascăr Catargiu in 1911, cut through Strada Romană and the other streets in the area. Between 1900 and 1904, the architect Ion Mincu built Casa Nicolae Petrașcu, one of the square's landmarks, followed in 1909-1911 by Casa Nanu-Muscel, designed by Ernest Doneaud. At the same time, in 1909-1910, the Ioanid district east of the square was parcelled out, giving rise to the villa fabric around today's Ion Voicu Park.

In 1913 the Academy of Higher Commercial and Industrial Studies, today ASE, was founded, with its headquarters at Piața Romană 6 built between 1916 and 1926. The ARO (Patria) block followed in 1929-1931, on the Magheru axis, which in the 1930s and 40s would become one of Bucharest's most modern streets. The metro station opened on 28 November 1988.

Amenities and access

Access is defined by Piața Romană metro station, on line M2 since 1988, and by the boulevards that converge here. Magheru leads towards Piața Universității, Lascăr Catargiu cuts through the area on a north-south line, and Dacia and Strada Romană connect the villa district to the east. Bulevardul Magheru runs 600 m to Strada C.A. Rosetti, a distance covered on foot in a few minutes.

Landmarks in the area:

Ion Voicu Park (formerly Ioanid Park), around 10,000 sqm, laid out in 1909-1910, protected monument code B-II-a-A-18300
The ASE campus, Piața Romană 6
The Nottara Theatre, on Bulevardul Magheru
The Cărturești bookshop, in Casa D.A. Sturdza
Hotel Ambasador and Hotel Lido
The ARO (Patria) block, 1929-1931