For many travelers, Odessa retains the status of a dream city: south, sea, architecture. But when visiting any city, you may get the wrong impression.
We have prepared for you tips that will help not to spoil the impression of a trip to this city – especially if you are going there for the first time.
Get rid of stereotypes
Do not try to draw the image of Odessa in advance and wait for it to correspond to it. This applies primarily to the notorious “Odessa flavor”: fisherman Sonya, Kostya-sailor, Misha Japonchik, “secrets of Moldavanka” and “Odessa accent”. These myths, mostly cultivated by Soviet propaganda of the 1920s and 1930s, terribly bored the people of Odessa.
Now the city is developing faster than ever – what is not a day, a new lecture, initiative or exhibition. To ignore all this wealth and instead of going to the Art Museum (must see! 5A Sofiyivska Street) to order a “tour of the criminal Myasoidivska” is, to put it mildly, a strange choice.
“Soul of Odessa” and where it (does not) live
There are several places where tourists go in search of “Odessa color” and do not find it, namely:
- Privoz market. The usual post-Soviet market, large and unclean, overgrown on the periphery with second-hand shops and kiosks with tights, salons and shops with confiscated goods.
- Moldovan. In fact, the area is a rather depressing cluster of hastily built one-story buildings without any architectural value.
Examples of places where food and atmosphere can really be called Odessa: “Tyulka” (46 Koblevska Street), “Bodega 2 Karla” (5 Leontovycha Street), “Buffet” (12 Panteleimonivska Street), “Alchemy” Deribasivska Street, 8) and Grechka Street (Gretska Street, 7). Here the emphasis is on the home atmosphere and cuisine, serving “traditional” Odessa dishes such as fried bulls, caviar from the “blue” and rapan, relatively inexpensive.
Use taxis and public transport thoughtfully
It is best to move around Odessa on foot. But sometimes without a car, of course, can not do. And public transport here, except for a few routes, stops running at 10-11 p.m. If the need for a car still arose – we advise you to carefully read the reviews in the applications and choose the drivers with the highest rating. It is necessary to address to drivers “at a border” only in case of acute excess of cash.
As for public transport: focus on electric – the city has recently purchased new trolleybuses and trams. But minibuses are in a more deplorable condition. By the way, pickpockets do not sleep, especially near Privoz and the Bus Station.
Look for housing consciously
The best option is to rent an apartment or hostel. There is no reason to stay in hotels and holiday homes: those that are cheaper than daily housing, usually suffer from stuck in the past and a strong raid “scoop”, and newer and rooms are accordingly – it will be more profitable, again, to rent an apartment.
Regarding the proximity to the sea: almost the entire city leads to long descents on the stairs, so even if the distance on the map seems small, in fact the road will still take at least 15-20 minutes, so we advise you not to dwell on this moment.
Where to settle?
The best area to stay in Odessa, especially for the first time – the outskirts of Shevchenko Park and the Musical Comedy Theater (Odessa Academic Theater of Musical Comedy named after Water). From here you can walk to all major attractions and the sea, and the streets themselves are quite quiet, without aggressive traffic.
Also suitable are the French Boulevard (especially if the windows face the yard, and not on the paved roadway) and Shevchenko Avenue. And also Gagarin Avenue perpendicular to them.