Districts of Warsaw

Mokotów

Mokotów is the name a district of Warsaw many investors will come across while doing research on where to buy in Warsaw. This district is on the west side of the Vistula river which divides the city of Warsaw. It covers a large area and is one of the most sought after districts to live in among Poles and ex-patriots living in Warsaw. Due to it's popularity properties in Mokotów generally command the highest prices outside the city centre. It is well serviced by the public transport system and one can travel to and through Mokotów  using either trams, buses or the metro. Many embassies and consuls are also to be found along the leafy, mature streets which make up Old Mokotów. Directly south of the city centre, it's proximity to the business and shopping centres of Warsaw ensure it will remain in the top residential 3 districts for foreseeable future.

Żoliborz

This is a very elegant mature district which lies directly north of the city centre on the west bank of the Vistula river. It is sometimes called Officer's Żoliborz due to the fact that between the wars many officers of the Polish army occupied quarters in this area and after the German invasion of 1939 many German officers subsequently took up residence here. Full of small streets and squares, with many parks and trees, Żoliborz is a very popular place to live. It is very accessible as it boasts many bus-lines, tram-lines and now two of Warsaw's newest metro stations.

Śródmieście

This is the city centre or downtown. else in the city. srodmiescieThe centre of Warsaw is experiencing a wonderful period ofAs with the centre of most capital cities properties here are more expensive than anywhere renewal and that is set to continue for quite some time. There are quite a number of old buildings which are being renovated and restored which are providing apartments for those who like to live in the more classical styled buildings. On the other hand there are a number of projects being launched over the next few months which will provide the city with tall modern residential skyscrapers with all the mod cons perfect for those who love the big city lifestyle. Large areas in the centre of Warsaw like the old Jewish Ghetto district are seeing a lot of investment and many large multinational companies are basing their Polish headquarters in this area. To service these corporations we can see that over the past 2/3 years some big players in the hotel market such as Radisson, Westin and the Hilton group have opened hotels in this district.

Wola

Wola is the district which lies exactly east of the city centre, again on the west bank of the Vistula river. Historically a little less popular than Mokotów or Żoliborz it is now seeing a rise in popularity due to it's close proximity to the city centre. In fact one can see that quite a bit of the newest office stock in Warsaw is or has been delivered in Wola rubberstamping the importance it will play in the future development of Warsaw. However prices are beginning to also confirm this new status and are rising accordingly but are still somewhat cheaper than the likes of Mokotów and Żoliborz. One thing to bear in mind is that in the future the development plan for the city includes a new metro line which will run through Wola. They hope to begin construction on this line sometime in 2007. Experts claim that in Warsaw the metro has added at least 20% to the value of properties which are located along it's route through the city.

Ochota

Ochota is located to the south west of the city centre with great transport links either by tram or by bus to the centre. This district boasts many parks and like Żoliborz and Mokotów has an old part with small streets lined with old city villas or townhouses. It has seen quite a bit of development over the past few years and has proved quite a popular residential district. It houses both Polish professionals as well as ex-patriots as the standard of residential developments is quite high as is the districts reputation. Like all of Warsaw's main districts it is serviced by large modern shopping centres with cinemas, theatres etc. There are a number of large international concerns which have decided to build their Polish headquarters in this area and within the next few years they will be joined by quite a few more modern office buildings which are ready to leave the drawing board and increase the stock of high class office space in Poland's capital.

Saska Kępa

The name ‘Saska Kępa' or in English - Saxon Settlement, is derived from the fact that this area of Warsaw was originally where the ‘foreigners' lived, outside the city walls on the east bank of the Vistula river. This is a very well respected district and is home to many of Poland's politicians, celebrities and artists. This part of Warsaw has historically been connected with ‘foreigners' and today we can find many embassies and consuls along the small streets which are also named for example ‘Irish Street', ‘French Street', ‘African Street' etc. This district will also be close to Varsovians hearts as it is seen by many as it's cultural centre and full of Bohemian spirit.

Wilanów

Wilanów is a beautiful district south of the centre. The royal summer palace was built in Wilanów in the late 1600's by King Sobieski and he called it ‘Willa Nova' which is where we get the name Wilanów today.wilanow Lying on the outskirts of the city it is close to some of the forests which surround Warsaw. This district is seeing the biggest concentration of construction and new developments anywhere in Warsaw. In 5 years time it is estimated that an extra 25,000 people will live in the area of Wilanów. That however will increase the strain on an already limited transport facilities in the district. At the moment it is serviced only by buses and two main roads and there are no plans to introduce either the metro or trams to this suburb. Many investors are drawn to this are as there are quite a few attractive developments under construction here but due to the sheer number of apartments being bought by private investors and investment funds the competition on the letting market when all developments are finished could mean that some apartments lie empty for quite some time leaving the investor to bear the burden of the mortgage repayments and building maintenance costs. In short, Wilanów is a great ‘buy-to-live', offers good scope for capital growth but could be a frustrating ‘buy-to-let'.

Bemowo

This is a residential suburb of Warsaw on the western side of the river Vistula. In terms of the number of new apartments that are to be handed over in the next 18 months in Warsaw, Bemowo would rank quite highly on any list of where these residential units are located. Very popular among Polish professionals due to it's good transport links to the centre and amenities in the immediate area. It is regarded as a safe area to live in and is growing in popularity all the time. Warsaw's new metro line which will run from east to west will pass through Bemowo. This will not happen till at least 2012 but expect this to have a major effect on the attractiveness of property in this area.

Bielany

Bielany lies in the north of Warsaw on the western bank of the river. Many eyes are on Bielany at the moment as there are many plots of land which have yet to be built up and prices are still reasonable in comparison to other districts in Warsaw. The most exciting development in Bielany over the next 2 years is surely the arrival of the metro line. This is under construction at the moment and is set to be completed at the end of 2008. This will ensure that Bielany moves up the list of most attractive districts in Warsaw.

Praga

This is one of Warsaw's poorest districts with historically high levels of crime and unemployment with a certain unsavoury element always visible on the streets. It was one of the areas least destroyed by the fighting which Warsaw saw during the second world war. As a result this part of the city boasts many pre-war buildings which locals claim is the only district in the city where we can get a good idea of how pre-war Warsaw really looked. Due to it's location, right in the heart of the city centre on the left bank of the Vistula river, many investors are seriously considering taking a longer term option in this district. There are many new investments planned for this area which will completely change the face of Praga over the years to come. The national sports centre, i.e. national football stadium, Ministry of sport, Olympic swimming complex as well as other sporting facilities, will be built here and will host the opening ceremony and opening game of the European football championships in 2012. A new marina will also be constructed around one of Praga's old industrial ports. The metro line will also have reached Praga by 2012 to accommodate the thousands of fans travelling to this district during the football championships.

Ursynów

This district is located at the southern end of the current metro line which runs from north to south in Warsaw. It is directly south of Mokotow. This district has a very good reputation and many local Polish professionals and white collar workers reside in Ursynow. It has it's own shopping centres, cinema complex and most attractive of all it is right on the doorstep of a large forest park complex which is full every weekend with the inhabitants of Ursynow on their bikes, walking, playing or simply having a picnic in the forest.