Spooky places in Prague: Legerová passage (where vegetable oil goes to die)

This place has all the familiar trappings of a spooky place: bad graffiti, a pungent smell and questionable goods for sale. This is what I personally imagine the gates to hell might look like:

And really, Legerová passage atop Muzeum is close enough.

For the deranged one-stop shopper, this passage packs a Russian specialties food store (I’m pretty sure Russian food is what they serve in hell), a bakery, a večerka type of store, the pizza place that prompted Prague food blogger Brewsta to write this love letter (it's ok but who would want to eat pizza in these surroundings?) and a Chinese food vendor (to be blamed for the eternal stench of stale vegetable oil inside the passage).

But, what's most shocking of all, this shabby little passage features an effin’ butcher!!!!

Because, you know, this is the environment that makes you feel perfectly comfortable buying RAW MEAT.

Bitch, please. We all make bad choices sometimes, but really? Literally the only item I would ever consider buying in that butcher's is this plastic bag featuring pictures of meat:

That’s kind of cool.

What’s most shocking is that there are actual customers in it every time I walk through the passage, which is quite often. It’s the most convenient way for me to get from my workplace to the Wenceslas Square location of Marks and Spencer’s, where I buy enough wine and dark chocolate ginger cookies to erase any possible nightly visions of this place from my mind.

A clever promoter seems to have picked up on the bad vibe in this passage and deemed it a perfect spot to advertise meditation classes (if sweets and wine are too pedestrian for you):

On occasion, there is an old lady selling flowers on the Muzeum end of the passage and I’ve always wanted to talk to her to find out what brought her there. I haven’t seen her in a while, though. Maybe she’s decided Legerová passage is too bleak and taken up shop elsewhere. I’ll keep you posted.

UPDATE: My friend Ben tells me that the flower lady can now often be seen in front of the Braník brewpub on Vodičková street. Thanks for the info, Ben! I was concerned about her whereabouts.