Cuba is the bar where you can listen to Caribbean or more general Latin music, dance salsa and watch live black and white TV from Cuba.
Cuba Bar is very famous for unique atmosphere, good cocktails and open-minded people coming here.
Usually on Fridays and Saturdays it is full of people, but it is great to have a party in such overcrowded conditions.

Labels: alternative, countries, entertainment, latin, music, nightlife, people

During Soviet times Volga was the most prestigious car which only very rich people could afford to buy.
Also only Volga was used as a taxi car in every Soviet town. I wonder how this one survived for 20 years.

Labels: cars, funny, purvciems, russian, soviet, transport

A lot of people will consider this photo more than stupid, but I think it perfectly depicts some part of Riga daily life.
Half empty bus Nr 3 with passengers.
See also Interior of Tram.

Labels: buses, candid, interior, life, people, transport

Riga Opera borders with Riga canal in a natural beauty spot.
Weeping willows, well-groomed bushes and calm water makes this place beautiful indeed.

Labels: buildings, canal, culture, nature, rivers, summer, trees

Gauja Mēbeļu nams (Furniture store Gauja), which located in Kengarags, is a good example of genuine Soviet architecture.
Does anybody know what kind of architecture style is this technically?

See also main Furniture Shop in Riga.

Labels: buildings, kengarags, shopping, soviet

Cemeteries are very often overgrown with weed.
Cannabis cultivation is forbidden in Latvia, but who is going to be responsible if it is growing on somebody's tomb?
Picture has been taken at Bolderaja's cemetery.

Labels: bolderaja, cemeteries, drugs, funny, green, nature

Every language is being developed and extended every day, especially by not native speakers.
Transliteration of Russian is quite controversial point, but I guess it is unavoidable future and this writing is a good example of that.
Dzērieni or Napitki (Напитки) means Drinks in Latvian and Russian respectively.

Labels: buildings, funny, latvian, maskachka, russian, shopping, writings

Everybody knows a huge entertainment center Lido on Krasta street with delicious food.
But not many tourists knows about mini versions of Lido, which sometimes are more convenient to visit.
For example, this restaurant works 24/7 and located in Riga center on Gertrudes iela.

Labels: buildings, center, food, restaurants, streets

Our city is going to have one hotel more. Unlike many others in Riga, this hotel is going to be quite competitive because of good location. The building is just next to Central Station and Minibus station.
Hotel is being built very fast, less than 1 year ago here was just a lonely wall.

Labels: buildings, center, hotels, industrial

A big queue in front of University of Latvia.
Now it is the only week during the year, when it is possible to apply for studies in LU.
More than 6000 of people are being enrolled during 6 business days.

Labels: center, education, life, people, queue, universities

Bus yard of Autoosta (Bus Station) was built on the Riga canal's coast in 1964.
See front view of Riga Bus Station.

Labels: boats, buildings, buses, canal, center, rivers, stations, water

Riga Centre Market has the whole street, where people sell and buy flowers.
Prices here are much lower than at Sakta Flower Market or any other flower shop in Riga.

Labels: center, flowers, markets, people, shopping, streets, summer

Huge foundation pit of one of the buildings in Riga center.
For now, I have no idea what is going to be built between Dzirnavu and Blaumana streets.
Let's keep eye on it :)

Labels: buildings, cars, center, empty, future, houses, projects

Yesterday in Latvia, just one week after the world, was the premier of the new shocking film Brüno.
The movie is from producer of Borat and they are quite similar. Bruno is Austrian gay who wants to became world class celebrity and goes to USA.
Of course it is forbidden to make any photos in cinema, but I wanted to show subtitles in two languages.
Every movie in Latvia is being subtitled in two languages: Latvian and Russian. This movie itself is also in two languages: English and German.
Unglaublich!

Labels: american, austrian, cinemas, famous, german, jewish, latvian, movies, persons, queer, russian, writings

Some ESKOM just got parking ticket from police on Gertrudes street.
Besides 30Ls (45 EUR) money fine, driver also gets 3 penalty points on his account for illegal parking.
If driver collects more than 10 points in one year, he get lost driving license for 6 months with obligatory repeat of examination.

Labels: cars, center, criminal, police, prices, streets

This walking alley along Daugava river in Kengarags got nickname Broadway.
I would call it better Embankment :)

Labels: children, kengarags, nature, parks, people, roads, trees

Abacus aka counting frame is being used in some places of the world, for example in Latvia.
Quite late introducing of electronic calculator to Latvia is only part of the reason.
Also Abacus is very stable and could be easy used by people with weak eyesight.
This one I found in Agenskalns pharmacy.

Labels: agenskalns, finance, funny, medicine, shopping

Picturesque Waterfall on the Marupite river in Arkadijas Parks.

Labels: green, nature, pardaugava, parks, rivers, tornakalns, trees, water

Pērses iela (Peer/Lord Street) is quite short and narrow street between Kr. Barona and A. Caka streets.
It is infamous among Estonian-speaking people because of funny name interpretation.
Is there any reader who speaks and writes Estonian? Please write your comment :)

Labels: center, estonian, funny, people, streets

Riga at twilight, or technically at late sunset.
The moon and the sun could be often observed at the same time in Riga.
Interesting, if it is possible to take picture with both of them in the single frame not using special lens.

Labels: buildings, churches, lights, night, panoramas, roofs, sunset, towers

Daile (Beauty or Art) is the name of the former Riga cinema, which was recently closed.
It was opened in 1936. At that time there were about 50 cinemas in Riga.
Last years it was famous as budget cinema for more or less old movies and cheap prices.

Labels: buildings, center, cinemas, culture, entertainment, interwar, movies, streets

There is an interesting word consummation, but I am sure that you get me wrong.
Working girls in Riga bars/clubs are often called as consummaters (консуматорши). It means that they do almost everything just to get you buying them a drink. Of course house shares some profit with such girls.
Sin city is one more Riga place, where it is almost impossible to meet not working girl.
Drinks in such places are usually cost up to 20 times higher than somewhere else.
Luckily this place, located on Dzirnavu iela, is not blacklisted.

Updated: this photo was used as cover sheet of Vi Menn magazine.

Labels: bars, center, clubs, criminal, girls, night, nightlife

Pubs are often called as Bars in Riga. This one is made especially for people who staring at their shoes while walking :)
See other pub photos under Riga bars label.

Labels: bars, buildings, center, wooden

Did you know that Dwarfs also had settled in Riga? Unfortunately, I couldn't catch Snow White coming out :)
This little wooden house is located on Kalnciema iela, the street which connects Riga Center and Riga Airport.

Labels: agenskalns, buildings, funny, houses, wooden

This sign post, located at Perses iela, shows distances between Riga and world cities.
Moscow (Maskava) 841 kilometers
Brussels (Brisele) 1455 km
London (Londona) 1674 km (1040 miles)
New York (Ņujorka) 6751 km (4195 miles)

Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) is much closer, just 10 meters, but lately more and more people leave the country for developing and investing in somewhere else.
Such ideas are visiting me quite often as well. What about you, my friends?

See also memorial distance sign to Warsaw.

Labels: american, center, cities, english, french, monuments, russian, writings

Sometimes Yokels are being called as Urlas in Latvia. These three are waiting for trolleybus at stop or just taking a rest.
I took this photo at Avotu iela, which is very famous for such daily pictures.

Labels: bums, criminal, people, poverty, transport

Zilais Dimants (Blue Diamond) is a huge Casino Network in Riga, which takes the last money from rustic sloggers.
Sometimes casinos are located in such wooden buildings. Who cares?
You know, the most important in this business is to be closer to the people.
I am happy that our neighbor-country Russia had forbidden gambling from 1st of July. I am sure that we need do so as well, as we suffer from the same problem when people get lost the whole salary in 2 hours.
See also Klondaika's big game.

Labels: buildings, casinos, center, houses, poverty, shame, streets, wooden

Modes pasāža (Fashion passage) is a clothing store residing in another wooden house on Krisjana Barona iela.

Labels: buildings, center, fashion, houses, streets, wooden

Bakery is an untypical club/bar located on Bruninieku iela 73. Electronic music of all kinds could be heard here.
Incredible friendly atmosphere, low prices and family design makes this place looking tempting to be visited.
It seems that everybody knows each other here, but in fact almost all people came here by chance.
Bar menu is unprecedented for Riga. It includes even some drugs, which are not forbidden in Riga yet.
Just have a look at this girlish mirror with teddy bears next to toilet :)

Labels: alternative, bars, clubs, culture, design, drugs, interior, music, underground

Lord's Pub is one more place, which should be avoided by Riga guests. Couple years ago its name was Groks.
This place was always asylum for desperate tourists looking for adventures. And they always got them here.
Bill for 2 bottles of quite cheap champagne is never less than 1000 EUR. And don't even try to find prices in menu, they don't exist there :)
Lord Pub is located on Kalku steet next to Babylon aka Roxy.
See all blacklisted places in Riga

Labels: bars, cafes, criminal, night, nightlife, vecriga

Dzirnavu iela (Miller Street) is the one-way traffic street in the very center of Riga.
Basically, Dzirnavu runs through the whole center perpendicularly to Brivibas.
A lot of offices are located on this street making it very busy during rush hours, but this picture has been taken just after morning jams.

Labels: buildings, cars, center, roofs, streets, traffic

This is the empty space that left after Rīgas Sporta pils (Palace of Sport) demolition.
Sport Palace was mainly Ice Hockey venue, which handled many sport and music events from 1970 till it 2007.
I have personal feeling to this place, because I spent a lot of time here during my childhood. My mother used to work as technologist in Sport Palace.
Now there is a project to build office building, but it is frozen for undefined time.

This photo is part Monthly theme day which is Empty today.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants, see also other posts under label empty.

Labels: buildings, center, empty, ice hockey, projects, sports, themes