Tei: the Sector 2 Neighborhood That Grew Around the Lake on the Colentina
Tei is a neighborhood in Sector 2 of Bucharest, around the lake of the same name. It is home to Tei Park, the lake, the Ghica Palace and the Teiul Doamnei Church.
Tei is a neighborhood in Sector 2 of Bucharest, in the north of the city, on the shore of the lake of the same name. The neighborhood is home to Tei Park (Parcul Tei), the Ghica Palace (Palatul Ghica) and the Teiul Doamnei Church (Biserica Teiul Doamnei).
The lake and the park
Lake Tei is one of the lakes on the Colentina River. It covers about 80 hectares and lies between Lake Floreasca, upstream, and Lake Plumbuita, downstream. A decision of July 19, 1938 authorized the regulation of the river and the draining of Lakes Floreasca and Tei. By 1970, according to Wikipedia, the whole chain of lakes had its current form.
Tei Park is on the lakeshore. According to Știrile ProTV, work on it began in 1935, was halted by the war and resumed afterward, and the park was completed in 1950 under the name “Grădina Teilor” (the Lindens’ Garden). The amusement park inside it was inaugurated on June 25, 2016.
In 2020, Sector 2 City Hall began the “Colentina Green Corridor” (“Coridorul Verde Colentina”) project, a promenade of over 38 kilometers around the Colentina lakes, according to a Spotmedia piece from 2024.
Streets and buildings
Strada Teiul Doamnei, 900 meters long, links Șoseaua Colentina with Bulevardul Lacul Tei. In 1937, the Municipal Society for Cheap Housing (Societatea Comunală pentru Locuințe Ieftine) began subdividing land in the Tei area. The first houses were built in 1937, and more in 1939. After August 1944, the plans for expansion to the east were abandoned because of the costs of the war.
The Ghica Palace and the Teiul Doamnei Church appear in an 1859 image on the neighborhood’s Wikipedia page, seen from Lake Plumbuita.
Frequently asked questions
How large is Lake Tei?
About 80 hectares, according to Wikipedia.
Which lakes are upstream and downstream?
Lake Floreasca is upstream and Lake Plumbuita is downstream.
What is the Colentina Green Corridor?
A Sector 2 City Hall project, begun in 2020, for a promenade of over 38 kilometers around the Colentina lakes.
