SOFIA CENTER

Culture & urban lifestyle in Europe’s oldest capital that grows but doesn’t age.

Few are the European capitals left where, an entrée and main course cost about 10€, front-row seats at the opera are 20€ and 300k€ will get you a spacious apartment in the heart of the city. We can’t say anymore that Sofia is Europe’s “best-kept secret” because it has attracted people from all over the world to live, work, retire or relax here. At the heart of it all is the vibrant, ever-evolving city center.

The first thing visitors will say about Sofia is that it doesn’t feel like a city. Not only for its compact footprint but because of the prevailing laid-back, casual atmosphere. The center itself is can be traveled by foot. Everywhere else you would want to go is most likely accessible by the new metro, a project the city has been intensively developing for the last 5 years. And the metro system is not the only improvement the city has been working on.

Over the last few years, Sofia has experienced a profound transformation. The municipality has taken on extensive renovations of the cities parks and main streets, two of which (Vitoshka and Graf Ignatiev) have been converted into pedestrian streets. In the parks, old eyes-sores have been removed and replaced with beautiful landscaping and new playgrounds. However, the rebirth of the city center can not only be credited to the state. Companies and private investors have remodeled many of the old buildings and locals have reclaimed the street-level with stylish boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, and bars.

Neighborhoods

OBORISHTE is the center's high-end neighborhood. This is not because the standard of the properties is so different from other parts of the city center, but because Oborishte, historically was the diplomatic neighborhood home to the international residences, embassies, and upper class. Today it is still highly sought-after for its hip but the peaceful atmosphere and proximity to the buzzing, ideal center.

VITOSHKA, GRAF IGNATIEV, NDK

This is Sofia's true center for those who wish to be at the heart of the activity. For buyers not afraid of a bit of remodeling this area offers great investment opportunities for short and long term rental properties. Here you can find areas with a concentration of restaurants, coffee shops, bars and nightlife and others that are quiet, primarily residential but still walking distance to the action.

RUSSIAN MONUMENT

This area offers the city center lifestyle for less. On the far side Southside of Vitoshka blv., this area is even more predominantly residential. The National Medical Academy is in this area and attracts many foreign students looking to rent.

PIROTSKA, WOMEN'S MARKET, TZAR SIMEON

It is the center's last, underdeveloped, underpriced area. Once the cities old Jewish quarter it has many historic landmarks like the public baths (now converted to the National History Museum) the Mosk, Synagog, and Catholic Church, and of course the famous Halite indoor market and the Women’s outdoor farmers market. This area was not attractive to local developers but now it is being rapidly gentrified. Sofia's craftsmen and artists have set up their ateliers and private investors are now taking advantage of the still sub-market property prices.