Băneasa () is a borough () on the north side of
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, in
Sector 1, near the
Băneasa Lake (). Like every north-side district of Bucharest, it is relatively sparsely populated, with large areas of
park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
land. Bordering on
Băneasa Forest, Băneasa hosts the
Aurel Vlaicu International Airport, used mainly by private jets and business aviation, and is home to
Zoo Băneasa, the
Băneasa railway station, the
Băneasa Shopping City, and the
Embassy of the United States.
In the 2000s, the area has become increasingly upmarket, due to the construction of various luxury apartment developments in and around it (as are those in the
Pipera-
Tunari area). It is also home to many
villa
A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...
s constructed before the 1930s that were refurbished in the 1990s and 2000s.
Băneasa is linked by
RATB bus lines to the Bucharest city center. There is currently a proposal to construct an extension of the
Bucharest Metro
The Bucharest Metro () is an underground rapid transit system that serves Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It first opened for service on 16 November 1979. The network is run by Metrorex. One of two parts of the larger Transport in Bucharest, B ...
to serve this district and its increasing population.
The name of the village (and later of the Bucharest commune and neighborhood Băneasa) comes from the wife (băneasa) of Ban Mareș from the 17th century. The ban bought pieces of the Cârstienești estate (as the village was called then), and after his death the property was enlarged by to the widow.
References
Districts of Bucharest
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