Getting Around is Easy
Where to Live
This is written from the perspective of a Warsaw snob. Proceed at your own risk. Warsaw might not be Paris or Vienna, but your choice of neighborhood still says a lot about you—and impacts your lifestyle.
Where to Live
← Back to ArticlesAuthor’s Selection of Cool Neighborhoods:
Downtown (Śródmieście: keep in mind, true Varsovians say: Śródmieście instead of Centrum)
Especially the southern city center.
For city lovers who want everything at their doorstep, to feel like they’re living in Berlin when it was still cool, reside in a pre-war tenement, and soak up the city vibe (minus the smog).
- Hoża
- Wilcza
- Wspólna
- plac Zbawiciela
- Wyzwolenia Avenue
- Oleandrów Street
Mokotów
The fashionable hotspot for 2010-era hipsters.
Check out the area around TR Theatre or Madalińskiego. For a more laid-back vibe, the Łazienki area near Belwederska is a great choice. But remember, real Mokotów ends somewhere around Morskie Oko—don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.
Żoliborz
Artistic, elitist, and utterly charming. Żoliborz is an interwar gem. If you can afford it, the choice is obvious: a villa near Plac Słoneczny or Plac Wilsona, or, if you venture far enough, Stare Bielany.
Alternatively, look for a flat in a tenement or a block from the 1950s. For fans of thoughtfully designed spaces, Sady Żoliborskie is a must.
Praga North (Praga Północ)
So, you’re alternative, edgy, and crave authenticity? Welcome to Praga. It’s perfectly scruffy, delightfully restored in places, and has everything Brooklyn circa 2005 had—cool restaurants, artsy vibes, and, yes, the occasional high crime. But let’s not exaggerate—the worst that’ll likely happen is being asked for a cigarette by a local, not getting mugged in the street. Cool, cool, cool—but before you commit, spend a few damp autumn evenings here to decide if it’s really your vibe.
Saska Kępa (Praga Południe)
The “right” side of Warsaw. Think Praga, but make it chic. Modernist villas, wild beaches, and only 15 minutes to the city center. With streets named after European capitals—Francuska, Paryska, etc.—Saska Kępa is a slightly snobby but undeniably lovely area. Locals like to pretend it’s Parisian (it’s not), but it’s still one of the nicest places to live in Warsaw. Quiet, green, and peppered with cozy cafes.
Author’s Choice for a Rather-No
Outskirts of Warsaw
- Konstancin and Łomianki: Among the better ones.
- Radzymin and Józefów: Among the less appealing.
- Plus a smattering of concrete jungles near train lines.
Yes, there’s potential for a house with a garden. But in reality, you’ll probably end up in a block of flats. And even if you score a garden, forget spontaneous meetups with friends or feeling like part of the city.
Great for someday, not for starting out.
Wilanów
The expat HQ. A bit snobby, a bit overcrowded, a bit overpriced, and built on literal marshland (no joke).
Think of it as an architectural mock-up—safe, clean, and shiny. Perfect for people who, when visiting Italy, prefer Starbucks over local cafes and McDonald’s over trattorias. And honestly, that’s fine too.
Wola
The corporate heart of Warsaw. Packed with caged housing estates, aparthotels, and gleaming office towers. It’s great if you work 14-hour days and want to be within a 5-minute commute. For everyone else? Wola is like that long-lost cousin you see once a year: “Oh wow, it’s grown so much! That building wasn’t here last year, was it?”
