This fourth-floor apartment in the Maple Street housing block was occupied by the Petrescu family from 1982 until the late 2000s. The owner worked as an elevator maintenance technician for several municipal buildings, while his wife prepared meals for a nearby primary school cafeteria.
The apartment remained mostly unchanged for decades:
original wallpaper, old kitchen cabinets, secondhand furniture, and a narrow enclosed balcony used for storage during winter.
The Enclosed Balcony Corner
Several items still remain throughout the property:
- toolboxes stacked beside the hallway closet
- canned food stored under the kitchen table
- faded family photographs near the television
- old winter coats hanging by the entrance
- cassette tapes beside a portable radio
- school certificates inside the bedroom cabinet
- candles and flashlights placed throughout the apartment
The building experienced repeated electrical outages during the early 2000s after infrastructure problems spread through the district. Residents dealt with unreliable heating, broken elevators, and long periods without consistent maintenance.
Many families gradually moved elsewhere.
The Petrescu family reportedly stayed longer than most residents because the father continued working nearby and repairs elsewhere were too expensive. Eventually, health issues and rising building costs forced them to relocate closer to relatives outside the city.
The apartment was left mostly furnished after the move.
Neighbors said the family intended to sell it later.
That never happened.
Years later, the apartment still contains many signs of daily routine.
The calendar remains open beside the kitchen.
The balcony jars are still lined neatly near the window.
And several candles remain placed around the apartment exactly where they were used during the final winter power cuts.
