Ochota is one of the 18 districts of Warsaw. It is situated on the left bank of the Vistula river. The district is adjacent to Wola to the north, Mokotów to the south, Śródmieście to the east, and Włochy to the west. The Municipal Information System divides Ochota into four parts: Stara Ochota, Filtry, Rakowiec, and Szczęśliwie. Its location and urban structure make it a popular place to live by singles, young couples, lovers of old tenement houses, but also families with children. The location of Ochota determines excellent communication with other districts of the capital. We can find here a lot of monuments, service points, educational and recreational centers. It is also the cultural center of Warsaw, created especially by students.

Ochota is a district whose character is determined on the one hand by the charming quarters of the old villas of Kolonia Staszic and Lubecki, inhabited just like before the war by the intelligentsia elite of the Polish nation, and on the other by dynamically developing modern housing estates in the vicinity of Włodarzewska Street. The admiration of other districts can be evoked by the impressive number of parks and squares, which create a unique atmosphere that is friendly to residents. The most popular of them is Pole Mokotowskie (Mokotów Field) – Warsaw’s “Central Park”.

Quick access to the city centre and the Warsaw Chopin Airport, numerous commercial points and nearby green areas all make Ochota a place that is eagerly chosen as a place to live. The most important sites in Ochota created over the last ten years are: Ochota Campus, with many important academic hubs, Academy of Medicine, the Faculty of Geology of the University of Warsaw and the so-called Office Park Ochota located along Jerozolimskie avenue, where there are many seats of companies and two shopping centres: Reduta and Blue City.

The biggest advantages of the district of Ochota:

• a lot of green areas and cycling routes,
• high level of education in kindergartens and schools,
• a rich selection of cultural facilities – museums, libraries and theatres,
• good public transport – numerous trams and buses.

The development in Ochota is diverse, there are new apartment blocks, old tenements as well as houses near the housing estate of Kolonia Staszica. No specific area dominates here, we will find apartments of 50m2 or spacious suites in the district. Interest in real property in Ochota remains at a high level, but the scale of the offered apartments is low.

The housing estate of Kolonia Staszica, located in Ochota, is one of the most desired locations in the capital city, which results in high prices. However, in monumental tenements of that district one can also find quality offers at relatively low prices. The cost of leasing an apartment in Ochota ranges from PLN 4000 to PLN 12,000 a month; if you would like to lease a house, you will have to pay from PLN 12,000 to PLN 20,000 per month. The price for a square metre on the secondary market starts from PLN 12,000–14,000. Experts from Lions Estate forecast a growth in prices of real estate in this district due to the proximity of the city centre and constant development.

Modern housing estates emerging in this central part of Warsaw are created according to the latest architectonic trends. Developers take care of ecology when designing construction solutions. Courtyards and yards, if such are planned in the housing estate design, abound in green: small trees, decoration plants and squares. The buildings themselves are several-storey facilities with light facade, equipped with quite large balconies, loggias or terraces. Ground floor apartments in Ochota often have attached gardens. One of the most often used raw materials is glass, which dominates in the urban architecture quite for some time now. Use of more windows, in corridors mostly, is a solution not only aesthetically pleasing, but also eco-friendly due to high amount of light entering buildings and, thus, no need to light them by day. New floors are equipped with underground parking lots and lifts, and there are often dog enclosures or playgrounds. Investments include a lot of facilities for inhabitants.

According to the ranking of Warsaw districts, conducted by the Central Statistical Office, Ochota ranks third in terms of the attractiveness of living conditions in the capital. For residents, access to cultural institutions – cinemas, theaters and museums is important. The most popular are Och-Teatr and the Iluzjon studio cinema. Good public transport and bicycle paths in the vicinity of Szczęśliwicki Park are also important. The residents enjoy spending their time in Pole Mokotowskie (Mokotów Field), where they can walk, cycle or feast. Families living in Ochota will be satisfied with the wide selection of schools, kindergartens and playgrounds for children. Moreover, the Ochota Cultural Center offers dance and art classes for children. In this part of Warsaw, there will also be people who like peace and quiet, as well as those who appreciate the big-city lifestyle.

Due to numerous service points and access to medical care in Ochota, life is very relaxed and comfortable. Thanks to many tram and bus lines that run here from Śródmieście through Wola, the district is perfectly connected with other parts of the city. Nevertheless, one of the most important communication points for the owner of an apartment in Ochota is Dworzec Zachodni, through which the railway line runs. In addition to this station, there is also a WKD railway, which serves connections inside the capital and in close proximity to it. Communication is completed by the proximity of the international Okęcie airport.

Ochota hides a lot of culinary treasures,. You can also try cuisine from different parts of the world, from vegetarian, through Japanese, Italian, up to Mexican. In the Szczęśliwicki Park itself, there are several food points which impress not only with good food, but also with green vistas.

Cukiernia Antolak confectionery is a must, where classic Warsaw confectionery goods are served. The locals also recommend Nonsolo Pizza, that is the first Italian pizzeria in Warsaw. Lovers of flavours straight out of Japan should try on Onigiri, that is triangle rice sandwiches, in the My Onigiri restaurant.

Recommended Venues:

• Włoska Robota Restaurant is located in the Szczęśliwicki Park at Drawska Street, in the building of Sports and Recreation Centre, it gives great view to the slope and the Szczęśliwicki Park.
• Stara Kuźnia Restaurant is located at the edge of the Szczęśliwicki Park, near the ski slope open all year long – 24 Drawska street.
• Pink Flamingo Restaurant is located in the Szczęśliwicki Park, at 42 Lirowa street. The Pink Flamingo Restaurant is characterised by a specific American style, not encountered in other parts of the area.
• The New West Side Restaurant is located in the Szczęśliwicki Park at 17 Usypiskowa street and it has a great view onto the lake and the Szczęśliwicka Hill.

Ochota is one of the greenest districts of Warsaw. It is famous for beautifully managed parks such as the Mokotów Park, Szczęśliwice or the West Park.

• The Szczęśliwicki Park is a perfect place to relax, have a walk, cycle or jog. This is where you can have a moment of peace and quiet.
• Another area worth attention is Pole Mokotowskie (Mokotów Field) so called Warsaw’s Central Park. There you will find places for camping and relaxation, an outdoor gym, volleyball courts, playgrounds, a mini skate park, places to play with dogs and play table tennis or chess.
• The Wielkopolski Park – this is where inhabitants of the so-called “old circle of Ochota”. This is a very family-focused place where several generations were brought up.
• Zasław Malicki Park is small, but well-groomed every time of the year. It is located in the middle of the housing estate of Rakowiec.
• Zieleniec Wielkopolski is located within the following streets: Łęczycka, Wawelska, Górnickiego i Filtrowa. This is a monumental square, the main axis of which is Aleja Wielkopolski.
• The West Park is the urban park at the junction of Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920r. street and Jerozolimskie avenue. This is one of the youngest green areas of Ochota.

Ochota is mostly associated with peace and quiet, family atmosphere and parks, but it is also a very good place to live owing to its numerous attractions. Here we present several interesting tourist sites which the Ochota is famous for.

• Szczęśliwicka Hill – if someone loves winter sports, this is definitely the place for them! The Szczęśliwicka Hill is 152 m a.m.s.l. and is nothing short of a paradise for skiing and snowboarding fans. In winter, the hill is artificially snowed and in summer you can ski thanks to Dendix dry ski slope material. Lovers of new experiences will have the opportunity to go do in pontoons.
• Baśniowy Park – old rotten trees are usually fell. Not in Ochota! Thanks to sponsors, artist Andrzej Zawadzki, using his chainsaw, carved fairy tale figures – a bear, an owl and a dwarf, which decorate space in the Baśniowy Park.
• The Immaculate Conception church – this is surely the most important attraction in Ochota. It is the most characteristic church in western Warsaw. The temple started to be built in 1911 and in 1924 the Romanesque Revival church was visited by St Faustina.
• Lindley’s Filters – water filters built in the 19th century. There is the Museum of Waterworks and Sewerage. Inside, you can see, for instance, a part of wooden waterworks and monumental devices. The attraction is also opened during the Long Night of Museums.
• Skra – the SKRA sports stadium was put into use in 1953. For many years, it was something Ochota could take pride in, this is where the Olympic Preparation Centre was found. Even though the facility is neglected and abandoned, it is still quite interesting. It is worth visiting to feel the old spirit of Ochota.
• Sightseeing Ochota, you cannot help but notice a lot of memorials. The most interesting and important ones are the following: Maria Skłodowska Curie Monument, Szczęśliwego Psa Monument, Lotników Angielskich Monument, Barykady Września 1939 Monument, Gabriel Narutowicz Monument and the sculpture in commemoration of motherhood.

Ochota is a friendly district for families with small children. The youngest inhabitants of this district can go to classes offered by the Ochota Culture Centre, which is the largest and the most dynamically operating institution of that sort in the capital city. The youngest inhabitants will be happy to go to numerous playgrounds, which are regularly improved.

In Ochota, there are 23 public kindergartens and 8 non-public ones as well as 9 public nurseries and 2 private ones. Most facilities offer additional classes, e.g. English, rhythmic classes or visual arts. The best ones according to parents are “Bambino” non-public kindergarten, Rakietników street, and “Domek Przedszkolaka” integration kindergarten, 11 Nowotyska street.

Children have no trouble choosing elementary schools as there are 5 public and over 7 private elementary schools in the district. Some of them offer integrated classes. Elementary schools often have modern sport halls and computer rooms.

In Ochota, there are also a lot of secondary and post-secondary schools – there are 6 high schools of general education, 4 technical high schools, one motor vehicle engineering school, high school of general education for adults and 3 post-secondary schools.

Ochota is also friendly towards students. This is where faculties of the Warsaw University of Technology are located, which university is regarded as one of the best universities of technology in the country. The Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology, which educates the best IT specialists, operates in the area with success as well. The Medical University of Warsaw is also popular.

Ochota offers its inhabitants a lot of cultural attractions. The Ochota Campus, composed of student dormitories and individual faculties of the University of Warsaw and the Polish Academy of Sciences, is the most well-known education centre in that district.

Ochota is a great place for cyclists. It offers a lot of interesting cycling routes, which run through parks and main streets. In Ochota, you can also borrow Veturilo urban bicycles.

Apart from green areas, Ochota also has some swimming pools, e.g. in the Szczęśliwicki Park you can swim in an outdoor pool in summer and in an indoor pool in winter. Apart from swimming in the Sports and Recreation Centre, it is worth using a sauna and a gym. In winter, an ice rink is also available. In turn, the Sports and Rehabilitation Centre of the Medical University of Warsaw offers swimming classes for pre-schoolers and adults.

In Ochota, you can use a network of the Calypso and Totalfitness gyms. You can also attend salsa, Zumba, stretching, yoga and kick-boxing classes. The more ambitious visitors can buy a package with a personal coach. In Calypso, you can buy a coupon book for a sauna and springboard classes.

Kraina Futbolu, i.e. a football pitch with artificial grass located in Blue City, will be an attraction not only for children, but also for adults. In turn, in the Interschool Sports Centre no. 7 at Geodetów street, you can use a sports hall and at Koszykowa  street you can play on a basketball court.

Art lovers will also find something for themselves here. Two theatres operate in Ochota.

• Och-Teatr is private dramatic theatre found by Krystyna Janda foundation for culture. Apart from performances, concerts are organised here as well.
• Teatr Ochota is one of the smallest theatres in Warsaw, which offers diverse performances, drama classes and performances for schools.

Cinema fans ca go to the district of Mokotów, a neighbour of Ochota. This is where popular cinemas with great climate and unique atmosphere are located – Luna and Iluzion. And book fans will surely take advantage of closeness to libraries. One of them is Przystanek Książka, that is a multimedia library. Apart from books, you can also borrow CDs and DVDs here. Inside, there is a play corner for children and the entire facility is divided into the following branches: music, cinema and the Internet. Przystanek Książka cooperates with national minorities, e.g. with the Vietnamese, and some collections are issued in their mother tongues.

At the Warsaw Icon Museum, you can look at various collections, see a chapel as well as underground exhibitions. In the institute, iconographic workshops, film meetings, poetry meetings, musical meetings and lectures are organised as well.

In Ochota, there are numerous shopping centres and supermarkets. The most popular ones are the Banach’s Halls, Blue City, Reduta and Hala Kopińska. Ochota offers convenient access to beauty services. What also thrives are local shops and marketplaces, e.g. Zieleniak. You can buy fruit and vegetables from ecological crops and fresh fish there. In Ochota, there are also numerous round-the-clock shops.

The most popular premium investments in Ochota are Rezydencja Eliza, Rezydencja Kaliska, Apartamenty Niemcewicza 17 and Apartamenty Kaliska at 9 Kaliskiej street.