Recommend good residential areas in which to rent an apartment in Lodz?

Hello people,

Could you please let know few good residential areas in Lodz where all the basic amenities are close by.
Let's say Gym , grocery, bus, etc,

Also, please let know what is the cost for apartment in Lodz for a bachelor( including all - final pay)

Thanks
Paritosh

Grocery and bus won't be an issue. There are perfectly nice areas on all sides of the city. As an Indian (guess) I'd avoid certain areas with higher youth unemployment and football fans. Perhaps the student areas would suit you better. Politeckniki or just west of the city centre.

Rent nothing until you have seen it and the areas around. There are plenty of hostels and cheap hotels here to start you off.

Rents AFAIK for a 1bed/studio will be about 1500pln per month all in. There is rent + fixed service charges + utility bills that you will likely pay to the landlord. internet/tv you'll have to sort yourself.

Could you please give more information on this?


Also, will this be fully furnished

Can't agree more. Never sign the contract without first making sure that the apartment and the neighborhood meet your requirements, and without going over the contract carefully with a native Pole. Don't try to do this over the internet; it's not going to work. As I said before, it would be best if your future colleagues found a suitable place for you. In any case, when looking for an apartment, always have a native Pole with you to translate and explain.

Furnishings vary from apartment to apartment. You have to see what is in the apartment to decide; some apartments are provided with good furniture, others with cheap old junk that's dirty or falling apart. Chances are that you will have to by a desk and desk chair.

1500 to 1900 PLN per month is about right for a one-bedroom apartment in £ódź, all bills included, except internet/TV/phone. Generally, the cheaper the apartment, the less desirable it is, either because it is run down, or because it is in a bad location. Be careful to check out the windows and the heating. An old apartment with bad windows can cost a fortune to heat in the winter. Nice, new apartments in desirable neighborhoods are going to cost even more than 1900 PLN. Depends on what level of comfort you want.

The prime consideration for picking a neighborhood is proximity to your place of work. A cheap apartment may be no bargain if you have to spend two or three hours a day commuting to work. You'll also be probably happier as a foreigner living nearer the town center, rather than in some god-forsaken housing estate on the periphery, so aim for a location between your place of work and the town center, but with easy access to both, especially your place of work.

Be very careful of apartments that are well below the market price. If they are, there is usually a good reason for it, and you should make sure to ask exactly why. It can be something like intolerably noisy neighbors, or bad plumbing.

Also, make sure your apartment has a good clothes washer. Laundromats are few and far between in Poland, and they are very expensive.

As checked the place where I will be working is Oddział, Aleksandrowska, so is there any good location near this, or is it in the city center.

If there are direct buses to my office, I think it would be better that I can stay in a good locality.

Oddzial means branch (or in a hospital, it means department) and ul. Aleksandrowska is a very, very long road. There's a big hospital there, is that where you'll be working?

That's on a VERY long street, some 5 or 6 km long, so that doesn't do much to pin down the location of your workplace. The east end is about three km from the city center. The west end is out in the suburbs. It's a very busy street; commercial on the north side, and residential on the south side.

Your best bet is to ask your future colleagues where would be the best place to live. Really, give up all plans of doing this all on your lonesome. You definitely need the help of a native Pole, and a long-time resident of £ódź who knows the area. And you have to visit the area in person in the company of a native to get a good idea what's possible, and what's not.

No, but my office is near Przedszkole Miejskie nr 30
I am not supposed to tell my work place name

I have friends that live nearby just off of Rojna Street. The area is a safe residential neighborhood with lots of big highrises. The area around the Przedszkole is where you should be looking, as close to work as possible. And as close to Aleksandrowska Street, so that you can do all your shopping and have easier access to the city.

Sensible.

Looking at the map, it's half way to Aleksandrow.

Not a terrible area if I remember (irishlodz would doubtless know better), but not an especially vibrant one either. Residential apartments and light industry. Fortunately it's only a very short tram ride to the city centre, which is probably the best bet for you to live in. As Dominic B says, better to get there first - it is easy to find a flat in £ódż without much waiting around and there are a couple of very cheap hostels where you can stay for the first few days.

You can see it's near the centre, which is (in my opinion) a very nice place:
google map: Rydzowa 19, Lodz

I agree, it's quite a nice and green neighbourhood - called Teofilów Mieszkaniowy, which means "Residential Teofilów", in the opposite to the industrial part located in the north to Aleksandrowska street called Teofilów Przemysłowy - "Industrial Teofilów". Connection with the city centre is good - with several bus and tram lines (although they are very crowded); it's quite close to a huge supermarket (Carrefour)...

You can see it on Google Street View: goo.gl/maps/5AGq3

Is it possible that they can tell if there are any indian grocery shop in Lodz


I think it is better for the living place to be calm.


Are these buses and trams always very crowded or for certain hours in morning and evening, is there any other mode of transport?
Do we have metro trains?

Also I would like to know if there are good hotels too, nearby?

Remember that calm in and Indian city and calm in a Polish city are very different things - you'll probably find the whole place calm.


Never so busy you can't use them.


Like what?


No.


Erm, it's a city.

how is Lodz anyway? A friend of mine who visited there a few years back said it was one of the least charming cities she'd ever seen. I've never been there myself so I can't say.

@]FlaglessPole

Generally run-down and decaying. Charming only if you find decayed elegance charming. Nowhere near as pretty as Kraków or Wrocław, and not as vibrant as Warsaw. The main drag is called ul. Piotrkowska, and when I moved here 11 years ago, that was a pretty fun street. I lived nearby in Skierniewice, and actually preferred spending time in £ódź than in Warsaw. Since then, they opened huge shopping malls at either end, and that killed off the life from the city center (sorry, but malls don't excite me in the least). Now, I feel sort of depressed walking along the street. A lot of my old hangouts have closed down. It also didn't help that for eight years during that time, £ódź had a truly ghastly mayor. It was hit hard by brain drain and an overall exodus of young people, either to nearby Warsaw or to the western EU countries, more than any other large city in Poland except perhaps Katowice. There are visibly fewer young people on the streets than in Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław, in spite of the university. With the faster train connection, more residents are commuting to Warsaw for work and culture.

Some people like the grimy character of the city, and do find it charming. I personally prefer Wrocław (which is where I now live). I guess it depends on your background. If you're kitchen-sink working class from a dilapidated industrial city, I guess you'll feel at home.

That's what gives it a unique character - that hang over from when it was the westernmost big city of the Russian Empire. That and being a planned town so the architecture has a sense of unity.

No coincidence that David Lynch likes it so much.

Only in morning and afternoon hours, when people are going to school/university/work and back. Are they really crowded? It depends on how you define it - for Indian conditions they may not be busy at all :) For sure I didn't have such a situation in £ódź that the bus or tram was so crowded that I couldn't get in.

Since you are going to work somewhere in that area, you won't have a need to get to the city centre for 8 AM, so probably you won't even meet such a problem.

P.S. Does anyone have an idea why the forum changes Polish letter £ (L with a stroke) into the pound sign?

Of what I know: The area you will be working in is an average Lodz residential area. A quiet working area. There are all the major stores (Carrefour, Lidl, Biedronka) on your doorstep. There are excellent tram and bus connections to the city centre. I would advise you stay west of Wolkniniarzy, some of the areas along that road closer to the city centre are quiet run down, the closer to the city the worse nearly. It is partly the old Lidtmannstadt Ghetto.

In fairness the public transport here is excellent. Regular, fairly clean and cheap. On that route there are likely over half a dozen different routes.

In the city centre there is an Indian store selling the food basics. Another in Manufaktura selling foods of the world at a higher price.

If your employer won't help I would get a rate from a hotel for 2 weeks and go visit the apartments yourself so you are not under pressure to take anywhere.

nobohotel.pl

Not far away. There are plenty of hostels in the city centre too. Cinnamon, Flamingo etc.

There is an Ikea to buy cheaply any furniture you may need so get the right apartment for you.

Do you know a name or most people would know about it and direct me there?

Also about the heating and everything ? I mean how to check the same?
What all should be in line or what all should i check before finaling any apartment?

I hope you get my point,
also as I see many have suggested that I should have one of the polish colleague with me when searching for a room, but just in case, if no one is available, what should i do in that case?

You'll be arriving in the middle of winter, so it will be easy to check whether the windows are tightly sealed or letting in a lot of cold air. A native Pole who has experience renting apartments will know exactly what to look out for.

You offer to pay a native Pole who has experience renting apartments to accompany you. It will be well worth the money spent. Like I said, trying to do this on your lonesome is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Finding someone to help you will not be all that difficult.

Also, whether the person helping you is doing so for money or out of the kindness of their heart, do not let that kindness go unrecognized and unrewarded. Make sure that the person is fairly compensated for their time and effort. After all, they are saving you a world of trouble and a lot of money, in the end.

As a last resort, you can always go to a real estate agency and have them find you an apartment. They will charge you about one month's rent for doing so, and the amount of rent you will have to pay may be somewhat higher. You'll have to make the decision as to whether the extra outlay is worth it or not. Most larger agencies have someone who speaks English who can help you.

Given you are changing countries it would be normal for your employer to ensure you are housed, they should nominate someone to assist you. Many landlords will speak English. When inspecting any flat check the radiators are hot and run your hand around windows and doors. Really in that area all housing should be fro 1970's on and have PVC windows. Where you have the quality issues are generally older "Kamienica's".

The Indian food shop is across the street from the Irish Pub on Piotrkowska, it should not be difficult to find. The other store is upstairs near Real at the back of Manufaktura. There are a few Indians in Ganesh Restaurant that should be able to give you better info.

DominicB : Is not it difficult to find right guy to help me with searching for apartments ? I mean a person can be con too, hope you getting my point. Also, if i am staying at a hotel, will someone in the hotel would guide me. Because logically I would not no any one there.

irishlodz: My company's office is in Warsaw and the client's office is in Lodz. It's kind of last minute change, that i need to work from Lodz now. That is why, I was bit tensed.

Ask your company's office in Warsaw to find someone to help you. Or, if you're going to go it alone, go to a reputable real estate agency. Ask your future coworkers.

Yes, will try doing that.
Hoping that things pan out easily.
Important thing is i am not used to that much cold.

Hello,

Wanted to know the cab services from Warsaw airport to hotel ( in Warsaw) ?
Is there any online portal for cabs which provide good services?

Thanks,
Paritosh